(RIA Novosti) - U.S. President George W. Bush has arrived in St. Petersburg to meet with the Russian president and attend Russia's debut Group of Eight summit.
The other G8 leaders from the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, Canada and France will be joining Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia's debut G8 summit in the country's second largest city on July 15-17, reports Trend.
On Friday night, the U.S. president will meet with Russian NGO representatives, and then attend a private dinner at Putin's residence in Strelna outside St. Petersburg, together with the two presidents' wives.
On Saturday, Bush and Putin will meet for bilateral negotiations, to be continued at a working lunch, and attend a dinner for G8 leaders in the evening.
The talks with Putin are the U.S. president's only bilateral meeting so far scheduled for the sidelines of the G8 summit, the White House said. However, Bush's aides said the administration was working to arrange a string of other bilateral negotiations with G8 leaders expected in St. Petersburg.
On Sunday and Monday, Bush will take part in all the G8 summit events, including a meeting and business lunch with the summit guests - the UN secretary general, the Chinese leader, presidents of Brazil and Mexico, South Africa, the Indian prime minister, and the presidents of Kazakhstan and Congo.
Rounding up the summit, Bush will be present at a diplomatic reception and then depart for Washington.