Putin, Bush Agree to Have Further Discussion on ABM FutureRussian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush held a bilateral meeting in Shanghai on October 21 after the conclusion of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) economic leaders' meeting.At a joint press conference with Bush held after their half- hour talks, Putin said progress was in the issue of negotiation on the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and he was prepared to have full-fledged talks on the future of the 1972 treaty next month when he visits the United States. "At least we do have an understanding that we can reach some agreement taking into account the national interests" of the two nations, Putin said. "We should think about the future, we should look into the future, and we should react adequately to possible threats in the future." The United States has been trying hard to scrap the treaty to pay the way for building a national missile defense (NMD) system, which Russia opposes. Putin, who said the treaty provided an important element of stability, repeated Russia's opposition to Washington's plan to withdraw from the ABM treaty described by Bush as "outmoded and outdated." They also discussed economic cooperation between their two countries and the formulation of a strategic partnership framework guiding relations between Russia and the United States. |
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