Mr Schroeder met Mr Putin in front of the Chancellery, after which they entered, talking in German.
They held negotiations in Mr Schroeder’s office.
The meeting opened with a discussion of the situation after the New York and Washington tragedies. Mr Putin informed the Chancellor about his contacts with the Chinese leadership – in particular, within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Bilateral contacts, mainly political, economic and social, dominated the agenda.
Mr Putin and Mr Schroeder discussed Middle Eastern and Balkan developments. The Federal Chancellor told the Russian President about the Macedonian leadership’s request to carry on the peacekeeping mission in that country after the arms collecting operation finished.
The negotiators addressed journalists after the talks.
As he was answering questions about the planned anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, Mr Putin said that Russia would consider prospects for German aircraft transits if the request came.
The Russian and German leaders agreed on the need for a closer alliance against international terrorism. Mr Putin pointed out an extremely pragmatic character of the discussion. He stressed both parties’ practical ideas and said he never doubted they would be implemented.
Mr Schroeder expressed his high regard for Mr Putin’s statement that put forward the Russian position on combating terrorism.
The Federal Chancellor said that Russia had expressed its readiness for a very far-reaching alliance against terrorism. As he said, both countries’ relevant agencies were cooperating and ready for closer contacts whenever possible.
Mr Schroeder also spoke for the closest possible links between Russia and NATO. He said Germany certainly would have no objections to closer cooperation. Although he said that mutual trust was the basis of the Russian-NATO Council, the Chancellor, nevertheless, left prospects for Russia joining NATO an open question.
He stressed that European security was impossible without partnership with Russia, especially in the current situation.
Mr Putin, in his turn, told about the two Defence Ministries’ agreement for a joint peacekeeping exercise in Russia and Germany in 2002.