The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, conveyed the sympathy of the Irish people on the loss of life in the Moscow bombings to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ilya Klebanov, on arrival in Moscow yesterday.
"Obviously terrorism anywhere in the world is frightening. We have seen huge atrocities here, with over 120 people killed in the latest bomb. I look forward to meeting the political leaders here, including the Prime Minister, Mr [Vladimir] Putin, to whom I will formally express our sympathy.
"There is a great sense of fear in Moscow, which I felt when I visited the Aer Rianta section in the airport. Hopefully, that is the end of it," he said.
The Taoiseach arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo 1 internal airport, where he inspected a guard of honour before moving to the international airport at Sheremetyevo 2 to visit the Aer Rianta duty-free shops and bar.
After a private dinner in the House of Writers, he met members of the Irish community and a visiting trade delegation.
Today Mr Ahern will meet the Irish business delegation over breakfast and be present at the signing of contracts by Baltimore Technologies and Boart Long year, before visiting the Moscow offices of the architectural company Murray O Laoire.
He will then meet Mr Putin at the Moscow White House, where bilateral agreements on combating drug-trafficking and fighting crime will be signed. Following lunch hosted by Mr Putin, Mr Ahern will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
The Taoiseach will visit St Basil's Cathedral and meet members of the public in Red Square and in the GUM shopping arcade. At a reception in the Irish Embassy Mr Ahern will launch Ms Maria Kiernan's book, Moscow: A Guide to Soviet and Post- Soviet Architecture.
Mr Ahern, who is the third Taoiseach to visit Russia, will receive presentations from Waterford Crystal and Irish Dresden to mark the occasion.
Ms Celia Larkin will visit Orphanage No 24 near Moscow, which has been receiving aid from the Irish community for some years. She will present the keys of a new minibus to the orphanage's administration.
Mr Ahern will meet the Communist speaker of the Duma, Mr Gennady Seleznyov, tomorrow before being received by the mayor, Mr Yuri Luzhkov. He will also visit St Petersburg briefly.
