[Mb-civic] CBC News - BUSH, PUTIN MEETING APPEARS CORDIAL

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BUSH, PUTIN MEETING APPEARS CORDIAL 
WebPosted Sun May  8 17:11:15 2005

moscow---U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir
Putin held private talks in Moscow on Sunday.

There has been friction between the two countries as American officials
have pushed Russia over moves Putin has made that the United States sees
as anti-democratic.

And Bush criticized Russia on Saturday, calling the Soviet domination of
central and eastern Europe after the Second World War "one of the
greatest wrongs of history." Russia says its soldiers liberated parts of
Europe and has denied they were occupiers.

FROM MAY 7, 2005: Bush calls Belarus Europe's last dictatorship

But on Sunday, the short public exchange between the two leaders appeared
to be friendly.

"Russia's a great nation and I'm looking forward to working together on
big problems," Bush said.

Briefing reporters later, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the two men agreed to support
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

They also touched on other issues, including many of the international
hot spots – Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Bush arrived in Moccow after attending a memorial in the Netherlands on
Sunday marking the end of the Second World War.

He is one of about 50 presidents and prime ministers, including
Jacques Chirac from France and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, who are
expected in Russia for the celebration of "Great Patriotic War Victory
Day" on Monday.

Canada will be represented by Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson.

Security for the event is very tight, with more than 20,000 police and
thousands of soldiers on patrol.

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