Russian President to Visit Britain in June

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 05, 2003

Russian President to Visit Britain in June

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced Tuesday that his country looks forward to a visit to London this June by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced Tuesday that his country looks forward to a visit to London this June by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to a joint news conference with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Straw said bilateral relationship between the Russian Federation and Britain "has never been better".

"It is best underlined by the fact that in June of this year, His Excellency President Putin will be making the first official state visit to the United Kingdom," Straw said.

It would be the first visit to Britain by a Russian head of state since Czar Nicolas II in 1844, Straw said, adding that Britain is looking forward very much to Putin's visit, accompaniedby Ivanov.

Straw also told reporters that during his 90-minute meeting with Ivanov, they discussed "issues of foreign policy which include Iraq and the Middle East peace process.

They would discuss "other key issues, including North Korea, Afghanistan and India, Pakistan on Tuesday evening, Straw said.

Ivanov, who came here Tuesday for a one-day visit, agreed that bilateral relations between Britain and Russia is developing dynamically.

"This dialogue is another confirmation to this high level of cooperation that exists now in the relations between Russia and Great Britain, " Ivanov said.

"And these relations received a strong impetus in recent years,primarily thanks to the good and active dialogue and relationship between Prime Minister Blair and President Putin, " he added.

"We are confident that the forthcoming visit to Great Britain by President Putin will become another serious step forward in developing our relations," Ivanov said.

At the joint conference, Straw and Ivanov insisted that they shared a common goal to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destructionas demanded by the United Nations.

Ivanov, who is expected to see British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday before going on to Paris, also told reporters that the international community should capitalize on potential for political resolution to the Iraq crisis.

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