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Bush, Putin fail to bridge differences

— Photo: AP

Farewell meeting: U.S. President George Bush (right) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at Bocharov Ruchei, Russian Presidential residence, in Sochi, Russia, on Sunday.

MOSCOW: The Presidents of Russia and the U.S., Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush, ended their historic farewell meeting at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on an upbeat note, pledging to “cooperate as partners,” but failed to achieve any breakthrough on key issues dividing the two nations.

The two leaders signed a “strategic framework declaration” described as a “roadmap” for the next Presidents. The document called for “working together and with other nations to address the global challenges of the 21st century, [and] moving the U.S.-Russia relationship from one of strategic competition to strategic partnership.”

Appearing at a joint press conference after a two-day summit at Mr. Putin’s summer residence, Mr. Putin and Mr. Bush admitted that they remained far apart on the U.S. missile shield in Europe and the NATO expansion.

Mr. Putin said Russia’s “fundamental attitude toward the American [anti-missile] plan has not changed.” He said Russia’s “alternative plan was still on the table”.

“The best way would be to jointly develop a global missile defence with all parties having equal democratic access to operate the system.”

The joint declaration spoke vaguely about the two sides’ “interest in creating a system for responding to potential missile threats in which Russia and the United States and Europe will participate as equal partners.”

However, Mr. Bush made it clear the U.S. would push ahead with deploying its anti-missiles in Poland, which Russia sees as a threat to its security.

At the same time, he said, Washington would do its best to “convince experts the missile system is not aimed at Russia,” by “sharing technology and information.”

Mr. Putin voiced “guarded optimism” that Russia could accept U.S. confidence-building proposals aimed at dispelling concerns, but warned that “the devil was in detail.”

“We will insist that the measures of transparency and control we discussed today must be credible, objective and continuous, and implemented both with the help of instruments and [Russian] experts permanently deployed at the [missile defence] facilities,” he said.

The Russian and U.S. Defence and Foreign Ministers reported some progress on the issue they discussed at two meetings in the two-plus-two format since last October, but are yet to thrash out agreement.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Bush have also failed to agree the NATO plan to give membership Ukraine and Georgia. The Russian leader described the further expansion of NATO as a “throwback to the old logic, which treated Russia as an enemy.

“If they want to improve relations with Russia, they should, not to drag former Soviet republics into the bloc, but develop and improve ties with Russia.”

Despite all their differences, Mr. Putin and Mr. Bush sought to put a positive spin on their eight-year-long interaction, as they both prepare to step down.

“Over the past eight years we have done a lot to improve our relations and the global situation,” Mr. Putin said. “I fully agree,” Mr. Bush responded.

The U.S. President said he was “impressed” with Russia’s President-elect Dmitry Medvedev, whom he also met in Sochi, describing him as “a straightforward fellow.”

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