On December 7-11, the first official visit to Russia through out the entire history of Canada-Russia relations, government delegation of the Canadian province Quebec with its Premier Jean Charest and Minister for International and Francophone Relations Pierre Arcand has been carried out. Negotiations with representatives of the Russian government, mayoralties of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg have also been carried out. This visit is accompanied by the exposition of industrial, export and science opportunities of 14 Québec companies specializing in infrastructure, industrial, transport and telecommunications projects. The main goal of the “landing” Québec business in Russia is creation of conditions for greater availability of the Russian market for Quebec’s economy. Russia is positioned #8 among European partners of Québec. Export of Quebec makes more than 30% of the entire Canadian export to Russian Federation and receives 40,6% of Russian import to Canada. Chairman of the Board of Directors of IC “SMOLENTSEV and Partners”, Ph.D., Academician of IIA, CMC, Konstantin Y. SMOLENTSEV has participated in the business lunch with representatives of the Russian business and the Premier of the Canada’s province Quebec Mr.Jean Charest. In Premier’s opinion, he would like to use this visit to Russia to encourage Russian and Canadian industrialists to promote directions which would be advantageous for economies’ development – Russian and Québécois. Such directions are agriculture, energy sector, construction and infrastructure, telecommunications and market of information technologies and aerospace branch. The First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victor Zubkov has noted that “Interregional cooperation is an important component in Russia-Canada relations. Realization of Russia’s and Canada’s regions’ united projects will help solve the problem of diversion of the mutual relationship”. “All these questions are in sight of Russia-Canada economy commission, which I am a head of together with the Minister of International Trade of Canada Stockwell Day”, – added the First Deputy Prime Minister. The high rank representatives of the government of Russia are planning a reciprocal visit to Quebec in the near future.
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