Mishustin and Li Qiang visit Tsarskoye Selo palaces

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang toured the Catherine and Alexander palaces at the Tsarskoye Selo museum complex on October 20. The visit came before their scheduled intergovernmental meeting on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, both premiers attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation heads of government meeting in Dushanbe before travelling to St Petersburg. Mishustin personally welcomed his Chinese counterpart to the city.

First Deputy Finance Minister Irina Okladnikova, who has been nominated as deputy prime minister and head of the Russian government's executive office, joined the museum visit. RIA Novosti reported that she travelled there to meet her prospective Chinese counterpart.

Okladnikova will then travel to Moscow to take part in State Duma proceedings on Wednesday.