President Putin with the Chief of Ukrainian President\'s Staff, Vladimir Litvin.
The meeting was held to pave the way for a series of meetings between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.
Mr Putin noted progress in the development of Russian-Ukrainian dialogue, highlighting the success of the latest meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.
Litvin handed over to Putin a message from Ukraine’s leader, Leonid Kuchma.