OTTAWA, November 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have held a small conversation at the Paris Peace Forum, the TV channel CBC reported on Sunday, quoting an official from the Canadian prime minister’s office.

The channel released images showing the two leaders sitting near each other ahead of the opening of the forum’s session and talking about something. Trudeau’s representative specified that the Canadian prime minister stated in a conversation with Putin that the Russian people suffered appalling losses during the two World Wars, so it is important that a representative for Russia is present at the forum to talk about peace. He added that the conversation between the leaders lasted about 30 seconds, after which first speeches started at the forum.

Relations between Canada and Russia sharply deteriorated in 2014, after Crimea’s reintegration into Russia, which Ottawa regards as illegal.