Russian President Vladimir Putin is leaving Moscow on Sunday for
a visit to his US counterpart George W. Bush's Atlantic coastal
summer residence. What can the world expect from them, when the two
countries are in rows on a number of issues?
Turn low tone
Moscow and Washington have been urged to turn low rhetorics
sparked by arrays of disputes erupted this year, such as US plans
to deploy anti-missile components in Czech and Poland and
criticisms on Russia's democracy and human rights situation, as
well as Russia's threat to re-target its missiles against Europe
and slashes on US foreign policy.
Putin's 24-hour-less stay in Bush's family retreat in
Kennebunkport, Maine, was supposed to cool down such brawls at
their informal meeting featured with local specialty, lobster, on
menu.
"I hope that the dialogue with the man, with whom I developed
good, I should say, friendly relations, will be precisely of this
nature," Putin told a group of Russian athletes upon his departure,
noting he "would not go and would not receive an invitation" if it
is not the case.
Such remarks, labeling a good personal relationship established
since the two heads of states first met in 2001, came along with
Russia's low-profile treat of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last
week, an obvious strive to shun damage on Russia-US ties possibly
caused by the high-tune anti-US Latin American leader.
Missile shield shadows ties
On the top of the summit's agenda, there was US plan to deploy
anti-missile system in Central Europe, which has faced with fierce
opposition from Moscow and shrouded bilateral relations in last
months.
Washington raised proposals early this year to install 10
anti-ballistic interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station
in Czech.
Kremlin said the system will not serve to prevent possible
attacks from Iran and North Korea, as claimed by Washington, but to
change strategic balance on the European continent and threaten its
own security.
The dispute, however, was pinned by both White House and Kremlin
with little hope to be settled during the summit.
"I do not think that the full stop will be put in
Kennebunkport," Itar-Tass news agency quoted a representative of
the presidential office as saying.
Spokesman Tony Snow also indicated last Wednesday that the
coming talk between Bush and Putin is not likely to make any "grand
new announcements."
Kosovo, Iran, DPRK
Putin and Bush have to seek compromise on a number of
international issues such as Kosovo and the nuclear programs in
Iran and North Korea.
Western powers, led by the United States, want the United
Nations Security Council to back a plan supporting the independence
of Kosovo, a Serbian province run by the United Nations since 1999
when NATO bombings halted Serbia's crackdown on separatist Albanian
guerrillas, but Serbia's traditional ally Russia has said no.
Bush will also urge Putin to support a significant escalation of
pressure on Iran at their meeting on Sunday, the New York Times
reported, saying Washington needs Russia's support as it presses
the UN Security Council to pass new sanctions, the third round this
year, by mid-July.
The two presidents were also expected to talk about the nuclear
issue on the Korean Peninsula and an agreement on peaceful use of
atomic energy.
A farewell summit?
Putin was supposed to wrap up his eight-year two terms in office
in 2008, and he has announced that he himself will not seek a third
term, which made the summit possibly the last big one between the
two presidents.
"I think that at this stage it will be the last and final
meeting in such a format," Putin's aide Sergei Prikhodko said,
adding there will be another brief meeting at the APEC summit in
September.
At the summit, however, "they are meeting to vent their
grievances and mask with a show of camaraderie the gaping void of
differences," said Vladimir Frolov, director of the National
Laboratory for Foreign Policy, a Moscow-based think tank.
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2007)
