On a 'white night' washed by rains, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee joined other world leaders on the deck of a ship to celebrate the tercentenary of St Petersburg in Russia.

The showers did not dampen the festivities as over 43 leaders, including US President George W Bush, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met in an informal ambience on the fourth deck of the ship on the banks of the Neva River.

St Petersburg is the world's only metropolis where the phenomenon of 'white night' can be witnessed. At 59° 57' North, it is the world's most northern city. Due to such a high latitude the sun does not go under the horizon deep enough for the sky to get dark. The dusk meets the dawn and it is so bright that there is no need to turn the streetlights on.

The ten-decked ship also provided the venue for Vajpayee's meeting with his host President Vladimir Putin and Chirac.

The dinner was followed by high tea on the fifth deck of the ship, which was commissioned around two years ago.

Shortly after his arrival, Vajpayee went to the Monument of Peter I, the czar who founded the city in 1703, where Putin welcomed him.

During his stay, Vajpayee will participate in some of the functions connected with the celebrations. On Saturday, in the midst of a hectic schedule of bilateral meetings with leaders including Hu, Vajpayee will participate in the inaugural ceremony of the festivities on the embankment of the Neva.