During their meeting in Moscow on October 12, 2004, President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Paul Martin have agreed to establish a Canadian-Russian Business Council - an organization dedicated to expanding contacts between business commu-nities of our countries and promoting bilateral trade and investments. The forum is open to interested Russian and Canadian companies, business and non-governmental associations.
Some noticeable Russian and Canadian companies and organizations have al-ready expressed their interest to take part in the activities of this important forum. As for 10/11/2004, this list includes:
From the Canadian side: Canada-Eurasia-Russia Business Association, Canada Pacific Russia Trade Centre, "Petro-Canada", "Bombardier", "Barrick Gold", "SNC-Lavalin", "McDonald's Restaurants of Canada", "Baker&McKenzie".
From the Russian side: Russian Union of Manufacturers and Employers, AFK "Systema", OAO "Lenenergo", OAO "Zarubezhneft", OAO "AK "Transneft", NPO "Saturn", OAO "Norilskiy Nickel", Vneshtorgbank, AK "ALROSA", Alpha-Bank.
We will update this list regularly.
If you are also interested in the activities of the Council, please contact Anatoliy Sementsov or Alexey Ivanov from the Economic Group of the Embassy.
Russian-Canadian cooperation has advanced considerably over the past few years, embracing new forms and vectors.
In many ways this became possible due to the intensity of contacts at the highest level. In December 2000 Official visit of the President of the Russian Federation V.Putin to Canada took place. In July 2001, February 2002 and May 2003 the Prime Minister of Canada was in Moscow on non-official visits. In October 2004 Prime Minister of Canada within the framework of his visit to Moscow had meetings with President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Government of Russia. There has been established a practice of regular meetings between the two leaders within the framework of various international fora. The most recent such meeting took place in July, 2005 during G8 Summit in Gleneagles, UK.
Over the last few years the positions of our country in the G8 have grown noticeably stronger. The decision of the Summit in Kananaskis (Canada, June 2002) to hand over the G8 Presidency functions to Russia in 2006 opened a qualitatively new stage on this road and confirmed the partners' acknowledgement of the growing role of Russia in the contemporary world. The next G8 summit will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2006.
The State visit to Russia by Governor-General of Canada in September 2003 has contributed significantly to the strengthening of bilateral relations.
Russia and Canada closely interact within the framework of the UN, G8 and other international fora on a number of key international issues, including strategic stability and security, settlement of regional conflicts, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Our countries cooperate actively in seeking adequate joint response to the new global threats and challenges, such as international terrorism first of all. On October 12, 2004 the Joint Statement by the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Canada on Cooperation in the Struggle against Terrorism was adopted during the Prime Minister's visit to Moscow.
On April 9-10, 2006 Igor Shuvalov, Russian G8 Sherpa, visited Ottawa to discuss with Canadian counterparts issues of cooperation between the two countries in the framework of the next G8 summit in Saint-Petersburg.
During the visit Igor Shuvalov met with Deputy Foreign Minister Peter Harder, had a discussion with private energy sector representatives and civil society session with Web cast and video-conference to Montreal, Toronto and Calgary.
The ministers of Foreign Affairs maintain regular contacts. Ministers meet regularly within the framework of various international events - sessions of the UN General Assembly, G8 and APEC events. In September 2004 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada paid a working visit to Russia. In March 2006 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov in the framework of the working visit to Canada held talks with the the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada and Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affaires of Canada.
During the meetings the parties discussed the present state of bilateral relations as well as a number of urgent international issues and confirmed the mutual interest in developing of political dialogue, trade and economic partnership, relations in humanitarian and academic sphere as well as Arctic and Northern cooperation.
Bilateral ministerial-level consultations on strategic stability, combating terrorism and regional issues are held on a regular basis. In May 2004 another round of consultations at the level of First Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs took place in Ottawa. In February 2003 in Moscow and in October 2004 in Ottawa bilateral consultations on fighting terrorism, organized crime, illegal migration and narcotraffic were held.
Russia-Canada military contacts develop actively. In October 2003 first Official visit to Canada of S.Ivanov, Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation took place. In September 2005 the Minister of National Defence, Bill Graham during his visit to Moscow held talks with the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, Russian Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of the Security Council Mr. Igor Ivanov.
Cooperation between Russian and Canadian Parliaments has acquired a regular nature. In March 2003 the delegation of the Parliament of Canada led by Speaker of the Senate visited Russia. Delegation exchange continues at the level of parliamentary committees. A major event in this regard was also the setting up of the Canada-Russia Parliamentary group in October 1998 in Parliament of Canada consisting of members of the House of Commons and the Senate, which incorporated the representatives of all party caucuses. The Group for Cooperation with the Canadian Parliament was established within the State Duma of the Russian Federation (the coordinator is a well known Russian hockey goalkeeper - V.Tretyak).
On October 10-14, 2005 the delegation of the Canadian House of Commons, headed by Speaker Peter Milliken visited Moscow and Saint-Petersburg to discuss the development of Russia-Canada inter-parliamentarian ties and to participate in constituent assembly of Russia-Canada business council. The leaders of the two countries made the decision to create the council during the state visit of Canadian Prime Minister to Moscow in October 2004.
In November 2005 Sergey Mironov, the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, paid an official visit to Canada as the head of the official delegation of the Federation Council.
During his stay in Ottawa and Toronto Mr.Mironov was received by the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada and the Honourable James Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, had meetings with the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons, parliamentarians, academicians, media and business representatives.
The visit emphasized the important role of interparliamentary diplomacy and particular significance of the comprehensive development of partnership between Russia and Canada including antiterrorist cooperation in the interests of international security and peace.
The sincere dialog with the Canadian counterparts indicated that we should continue our joint endeavor to develop political, economic, scientific, cultural and humanitarian links between the Russian Federation and Canada, promote the interparliamentary cooperation and create appropriate mechanism for such cooperation, organize visits of the leaders of the Parliaments as well as regular interparliamentary exchanges at the level of committees and commissions in the interests of the development of all forms of interparliamentary cooperation on a constant basis and contribute to the creation and development of Russia-Canada Interparliamentary Groups in respective Parliaments for the benefit of the development of relations between our countries and our peoples.
In April 2006 Legendary Hockey Player Vladislav Tretyak received the Canadian Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division). During his stay in Ottawa Mr. Tretyak, an MP in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, had meetings with the Honourable Peter Milliken Speaker of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affaires Peter Harder.
Mr.Tretyak is a founder of the Group of Friendship of Canada in the Russian Parliament and is widely known as an active advocate of Canada in Russia.
In may, 2006 the Honourable Marcel Prud'homme, Co-Chair of the Canada-Russia Parliamentary Group, received an Honorary Diploma of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The award of the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, presented by Ambassador Mamedov, reflects the multi-year efforts of the distinguished Senator in developing ties between parliamentarians of our two countries.
Bilateral programs of cooperation involving Supreme, Constitutional and Highest Arbitration Courts as well as Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation are being implemented. In March 2004 V.Zorkin, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation paid an official visit to Canada within the framework of the Russia-Canada Judicial Partnership Program.
Cultural contacts and museum exchanges are also expanding. In October 1998 the State Hermitage museum Foundation of Canada was established and in 2000 Friends of the Hermitage Society was created. In 2002-2003 an exhibition of French paintings from the Hermitage collection was successfully held in Canada. In September 2004 the first solo exhibition of Canadian artist Tom Thomson was opened in the State Hermitage Museum in St-Petersburg. In October, 2005 – May, 2006 an exhibition “Catherine the Great - Arts for the Empire” highlighting the extraordinary treasures collected by Catherine II, Empress of Russia,from the State Hermitage Museum was on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. More than 330.000 Canadians visited the outstanding exhibition.
The importance of cooperation in the Arctic between Russia and Canada is poised to increase. Both countries emphasize the interest of further expanding ties in this area on bilateral basis as well as within international fora such as the Arctic Council. In 1992 the Russian-Canadian Agreement on cooperation in the Arctic and the North, in 1997 interdepartmental Memorandum of understanding concerning cooperation on Aboriginal and Northern development were signed. The cooperation in the North has become the major subject of the Governor General of Canada visit to Russia in 2003. Bilateral contacts under the program of cooperation of Siberian Federal District and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development of Canada develop actively. In March 2004 a visit to Canada of the Committee on the Northern Territories and Indigenous Minorities of the Federation Council took place. In September 2004 consultations with participation of the Russian Ambassador-at-Large on the Arctic issues were held in Ottawa concerning the cooperation of both countries in the Arctic Council.
Regional ties are actively developing. Substantial interest to such cooperation is demonstrated by Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and Northwest Territories in Canada, and Moscow, St.Petersburg, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yamalo-Nenets and Khanti-Mansiisk Autonomous regions, Samara, Perm and Tyumen regions in Russia.
The bilateral cooperation has a developed treaty base, including the fundamental political Treaty on Concord and Cooperation of June 19, 1992, as well as a number of specific agreements (on trade relations, economic cooperation, avoidance of double taxation, air transportation, etc.).