During the conversation, Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder emphasized the vital importance of maintaining a high level of Russian-German partnership despite fluctuations in international politics.
Mr Putin and Mr Schroeder discussed in detail the schedule of bilateral contacts at all levels for the following six months, and reviewed organisational details. They exchanged opinions on topical issues in Russian-German cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other spheres, and agreed to continue regular contacts by telephone.
First Russian President Boris Yeltsin spoke by telephone today with former German Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl. They discussed their potential contribution to the progress of Russian-German relations as former national leaders. In particular, they discussed the possibility of setting up public agencies to support positive trends in international affairs.