STRELNA, July 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Canada are on the verge of concluding major natural gas projects, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

"I would like to express support for those agreements that were reached by [Russian energy giant] Gazprom and one Canadian firm," Putin said opening a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper ahead of the G8 summit.

"PetroCanada and Gazprom are on the verge of major projects," he said.

Harper said the natural gas sphere was highly important for Russia and Canada, which, in his opinion, have a great deal in common as they both are northern energy exporters and both run a budget surplus.