Blair, Putin End Talks, Differ on Chechnya

Putin Meets Blair

Visiting Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin said on Monday that he had held good talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, but also made clear that Russian political and public opinion was very different from that in Britain.

Talking about the situation in Chechnya, Putin told a joint press conference with Blair that he can not agree with Blair on the alleged human rights abuses committed by Russian troops in the breakaway Russian republic.

"We certainly have very different positions," Putin said.

But Putin added that he agreed to Blair's suggestion to establish a committee to study and investigate the alleged human rights problems in Chechnya.

Meanwhile, Blair said he had raised his concerns over Russia's tough policy on Chechnya with Putin. But he stressed that he did not want to isolate Moscow on the issue.

"Some say that because of our concerns about Chechnya we should keep some distance from Moscow. I have to tell you that while I share those concerns, I believe that the best way to register those concerns and to get results is by engaging with Russia and not isolating Russia." Blair said.

The prime minister said he welcomed Putin's commitment in a statement last week that all reports of human rights violations in Chechnya would be investigated.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that he was ready to mediate between Russia and the United States on the anti-ballistic missile treaty.

Blair told a joint news conference after talks with visiting Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin that Britain's role was to "try to build understanding".

"As I said to President Putin during the course of our talks, our role in this is very much to try and build understanding of respective points of view, both of Russia and the United States," Blair said.

This comment came after Putin reiterated his opposition to US plans to create its own national anti-missile system.

The United States is set to create its own national anti-missile system, banned under the 1972 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty.

Russia, which ratified another key disarmament treaty with the United States last Friday, said in the ratification bill that it would quit the 1993 START-2 strategic missile treaty if Washington violated the ABM treaty.

However, Putin said on Monday that Moscow was ready to "conduct a dialogue" on the issue.

"Our legislation strictly links these two things, but I want to draw your attention to the fact that at the time, at the proposal of the American side, we have drawn a line between strategic and non-strategic defense," he said.

"In this very context we are ready to conduct a dialogue," said Putin, without giving any further details.

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