Putin to Meet With Council of Europe Head

By The Moscow Times

May 20, 2013

President Vladimir Putin will on Monday meet with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, the Kremlin said.

Jagland arrived in Russia on a three-day working visit on Sunday.

The visit's program will start Monday when the Council of Europe chief meets with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The Foreign Ministry said the sides plan to discuss the progress of the Council's reform started a few years ago.

Russia joined the Council in 1996 and is one of the five main contributors to its budget.

On Tuesday, Jagland is to meet with representatives of Russian NGOs and speak at a joint meeting of the committees on international affairs and on constitutional legislation and state construction in the lower house, the State Duma.

He will also meet with Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin.

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