Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday met with visiting U.S. Presidential National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in the Kremlin to discuss issues on strategic security, said a Russian official.
Russian Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, who was also present at the meeting, said the meeting covered strategic stability and the balance of offensive and defensive systems.
It served as a continuation of the Ljubljana and Genoa summits between Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, the Russian official told the press after the meeting.
"Both sides are ready for consultations at an expert level. This work needs a lot of time and a serious and deep expert approach," he said.
Rushailo said the proposals put forward by experts will be studied by the Presidents, and if both sides approve, the proposals will be submitted to the legislature for further consideration.
Rushailo quoted Putin as saying that it is necessary to guarantee Russia's security interests.
Rice stressed in her part that it is indispensable to intensify talks on the ABM Treaty and all issues related to it within the next few months.
She said both countries should achieve many results in August to prepare for the upcoming summits between the two presidents in October in Shanghai and in November in the U.S.
Rice said the U.S. would soon hold consultations with its NATO and Asian partners on these issues and put them under the consideration of the U.S. Congress.
Rice said she has had good conversations and consultations in Moscow and stressed the need to make such meetings regular.
Rice, who previously met Rushailo on Wednesday evening, held a second meeting with his Russian counterpart in the Kremlin on Thursday. Their meeting behind closed doors was joined later by Putin for 20 minutes.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister George Mamedov on the same day said Rice's Moscow talks with the Russian top leader and other senior officials have developed and pushed forward the agreements reached in Ljubljana and Genoa.
During those talks, Russia repeated its proposal to reduce offensive nuclear weapons to 1,500 warheads by the year 2008, said the vice-premier.
"We believe the U.S. side will respond to our proposals during the upcoming expert-level consultations and the meeting between Russian and U.S. defense ministers," he said.
Mamedov stressed that Russia still regarded the 1972 ABM treaty as "a key element for strategic stability in the world."
(Xinhua News Agency 07/26/2001)
