Democracy dispute must not mar relations, Putin tells Bush
President George Bush said he had a “very important and constructive” summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, and that the two leaders agreed Iran and North Korea should not acquire nuclear weapons.
Putin reaffirmed his government’s commitment to democracy, but cautioned that reforms would have to take into account Russia’s complicated history and its efforts to recover from decades of communism.
Disputes over democracy “must not be allowed to spoil” relations with Washington, Putin said.
In their meeting at a medieval castle perched on a hill overlooking the Danube River in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, the two leaders embraced new measures to combat nuclear terrorism and better safeguard atomic weapons arsenals.
“We agreed that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. We agreed that North Korea should not have a nuclear weapon,” Bush said as Putin stood by his side. He said he and Putin discussed how “to continue to protect our people from attacks”.
“I know the agony, I know the sadness, I know the emotion that comes with innocent people losing their lives,” Bush said.
Putin said he and Bush “see no alternative to the constant strengthening of Russian-US relations” and had in common the threat posed by nuclear weaponry in the wrong hands.
“We have common opinions, common approaches” on Iran and North Korea,” Putin said in his first meeting with Bush since the US president’s inauguration for a second term.
Russia and the United States must “neutralise any attempts by terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction”, Putin said.
He thanked Bush for accepting his invitation to attend Second World War victory celebrations in Moscow on May 9.
Bush said he appreciated the frank nature of his talks with Putin.
“You know what he says – yes means yes and no means no. Sometimes in politics, yes means maybe,” Bush said.
The US leader said he confronted Putin on Russian backsliding in areas such as freedom of the press, and that the pair had an open discussion.
Alluding to the sensitive nature of that part of their talks, Putin said Russia has made a final decision in favour of democracy, “and there can be no return”.
But he added that democratic principles must fit Russia’s history and present level of development.
“It must not lead to the collapse of the state and the impoverishment of the people,” he said.
“Russia has made its choice in favour of democracy,” Putin said. “This is our final choice and there is no way back. There can be no return to what we used to have. We are not going to make up, to invent any kind of special Russian democracy.
“We are going to commit to the fundamental principles that have been established in the world.”
