As part of the visit, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Naryshkin met with Chief of Staff to the British Prime Minister Edward Llewellyn. At the talks, Mr Naryshkin and Mr Llewellyn discussed the development of Russian-British relations in trade, economic and humanitarian sectors, as well as various international affairs.
Mr Naryshkin also participated in the ceremony of the official opening of the Russian Pavilion at the London Book Fair held between April 11 and 13, 2011, where over 70 publishing houses and 50 Russian writers, poets, essay writers, literary theorists and critics will participate.
This year, for the first time Russia will be an honoured guest at one of the world’s major book forums. At the Russian Pavilion’s opening ceremony, Sergei Naryshkin emphasised the significance of this event for expanding humanitarian ties between the two nations as the works of outstanding personalities of Russian and British culture have long been a unifying factor promoting cooperation.
“This International Book Fair coincides with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s flight into space, and I would like to thank UK authorities for their decision to build in London a memorial to the earth’s first cosmonaut,” Sergei Naryshkin noted.