During the meeting, which lasted more than an hour and took place in a very warm and friendly atmosphere, the two Presidents discussed the Iranian nuclear programme, the situation in Syria, progress towards a settlement on the Korean Peninsula, combined efforts in the fight against international terrorism and a number of issues concerning bilateral relations.
Mr Putin and Mr Bush noted that Russia and the United States share common positions in many respects regarding the North Korean nuclear issue. Both leaders emphasised the need for negotiations on the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues.
Mr Putin and Mr Bush discussed in detail their joint efforts in the fight against terrorism and underscored the need for practical cooperation between their two countries in this area.
Mr Putin thanked his U.S. counterpart for his efforts to facilitate Russia’s rapid accession to the World Trade Organisation. The two Presidents noted that there are still some outstanding issues in this area but that the two countries have a general understanding on how to resolve them and that talks on Russia’s accession to the WTO are useful and substantial in nature.
The two leaders briefly discussed the situation in Iraq.
Mr Putin also informed Mr Bush about his visit to Turkey the previous day.
Mr Putin noted that this meeting with the U.S. President was the continuation of a regular and ongoing dialogue. This was the fifth bilateral meeting between the Russian and U.S. Presidents this year.