Celebrations to mark 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg

On 30-31 May Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited St. Petersburg to take part in the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the city. The Belarusian leader took part in an informal meeting of the CIS heads of state and later had a brief conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Aleksandr Lukashenko had informal talks with Polish leader Aleksander Kwasniewski, the leaders of Armenia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Aleksandr Lukashenko also held talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

During the talks with President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao, the parties discussed bilateral cooperation prospects and forthcoming contacts at the highest level. Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to discuss political cooperation, ways to mitigate the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and also environmental protection issues. Aleksandr Lukashenko also held a constructive conversation with Malta President Edward Fenech Adami.