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Prime Minister has a hectic schedule
St Petersburg, May 31: Indulging in some high-voltage diplomacy, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpyaee has had a hectic schedule meeting world`s most powerful leaders ever since he landed here for the tercentenary celebrations of this city as a special invitee of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
St Petersburg, May 31: Indulging in some
high-voltage diplomacy, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpyaee
has had a hectic schedule meeting world's most powerful
leaders ever since he landed here for the tercentenary
celebrations of this city as a special invitee of Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Mingling with leaders of P-5 and other G-8 nations,
former Soviet Republics now comprising the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) and those from a number of European
Nations, Vajpayee had the distinction of being the lone
invitee outside any of these groupings.
After the formal welcome by the host at the peter the
great monument of the bronze horseman, Vajpayee attended
Putin's dinner for all the invited heads of states and
governments on the fourth deck aboard the 7-deck, 6-star
cruise liner Silver Whisper, considered one of Europe's best
passenger ships.
The dinner, attended by world's powerful leaders
including French President Jacques Chirac, British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Gerhard
Schroeder and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, went
well past mid-night.
This was followed by Vajpayee's bilateral meeting with Putin followed by Chirac, which went upto 0230 hours (IST 0400 hours) Saturday.
Bureau Report
This was followed by Vajpayee's bilateral meeting with Putin followed by Chirac, which went upto 0230 hours (IST 0400 hours) Saturday.
Bureau Report