Bush Accepts Putin's Invitation for Talks in Russia

By David I. McKeeby

President Bush will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Bush attends the upcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania. In the April 6 meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss missile defense and the future of U.S.-Russian relations.

"I think a lot of people in Europe would have a deep sigh of relief if we're able to reach an accord on missile defense. And hopefully we can," the president says.

During a meeting with foreign journalists, Bush said that Putin's invitation to meet in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi April 6 underlined the enduring need for dialogue between Washington and Moscow. "It's important that we have good relations with Russia, we can find common interests," he said.

National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said March 26 that the Kremlin's invitation follows recent "2+2" talks in Moscow between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates and their Russian counterparts to address Russia's concerns about U.S. partnership with the Czech Republic and Poland to build a limited missile defense system. In addition, the recent talks also addressed a critical new "strategic framework" document outlining the full range of political, security and economic issues that define current and future U.S.-Russian relations.

"This is an opportunity for the two leaders to meet, assess what progress has been made," said Hadley of Bush's visit with Putin. "Consolidate areas where we're cooperating together, maybe resolve some outstanding issues such as missile defense and provide a platform for the relationship of the two countries going forward."

NATO SUMMIT SHOWCASES ALLIANCE TRANSFORMATION

Before meeting in Sochi, Bush and Putin will be among dozens of world leaders coming together for the 2008 NATO Summit April 2-4 in Bucharest, Romania, a location that highlights how new members and partners have transformed the alliance as it adapts to meet new security challenges, Hadley said.

Following a working dinner with fellow alliance leaders April 2, Bush will take part in a full schedule of NATO events the next day, including participating in NATO's membership decision on the "Adriatic 3" candidates, Macedonia, Albania and Croatia. Bush also will participate in a meeting of the 59-member Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

NATO will dedicate an entire afternoon to a review of the alliance's mission in Afghanistan, Hadley said. Talks will include Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as representatives from the European Union, the World Bank and the 11 non-NATO states contributing to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, Hadley said.

"We expect NATO nations and [alliance] partners in Afghanistan will demonstrate their firm commitment to Afghanistan over the long term with pledges, of additional contributions and renewed resolve to help Afghanistan succeed," Hadley said. "Together these leaders are developing a comprehensive approach to strengthening Afghanistan's sovereignty and the democratic process."

In the 1990s, NATO helped Romania and many of its neighbors consolidate democracy through the Membership Action Plan, a multiyear process of reforms and training to help prepare future alliance candidates, said Hadley. The United States, he added, believes such an opportunity should be offered to Georgia and Ukraine.

"The president believes that NATO would benefit from Georgia and Ukraine as members and that these nations would benefit from being a part of NATO," Hadley said. "That process can take a fairly long time. But what we've learned in our experience in Central Eastern Europe is that it can provide a useful framework to encourage countries to make the right decisions they need to make to advance their own reform and democracy."

Rounding out the president's summit schedule, Hadley said, would be meetings of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, followed by a summit meeting of the NATO-Russia Council April 4th.

While in Romania, Bush will meet with President Traian Basescu, Hadley said, and will stop in Croatia April 5 before heading to Russia.

With Putin's successor, Dmitri Medvedev, taking office in May and U.S. elections in November, it likely will be the final meeting between Bush and Putin, Hadley said.

A transcript ( http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2008/March/20080327095922eaifas0.3876459.html ) of Hadley's briefing is available on America.gov.

(USINFO is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Source: U.S. Department of State

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com