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Russia

Volume 460: debated on Tuesday 22 May 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ministerial visits to Russia his Department undertook in each year between 2002 and 2006; and for what purposes. (136977)

There were three ministerial visits to Russia, in June 2004, February 2006 and March 2006, the purposes of which were to take forward discussion with the Russian Government about our bilateral trade, investment and energy relationship.

In June 2004 my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, West (Ms Hewitt) visited Moscow for discussions about trade, investment and energy issues. In February 2006 my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson) paid a trade-related visit to Russia and Ukraine and in March 2006 my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) visited Moscow for a G8 Energy ministerial meeting. It is also worth noting that the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Darling) visited Moscow in February 2007.