President Putin expressed appreciation for Mr Bush’s expression of condolences and solidarity following the terrorist act that took place in Moscow and noted that the sole response to the barbaric actions of terrorists should be a further building-up and deepening of the joint efforts in the struggle against this threat.
The message said, in part:
”Since our meeting at Camp David quite a lot has been done to advance cooperation between Russia and the United States in the areas outlined by us. I believe that the entirely pragmatic and systemic approach to organising joint work, which we took as a basis at the summit, has fully acquitted itself. The 'Camp David Checklist of Tasks' has played an important mobilising role: our agencies established close contacts, bilateral consultations intensified, and as a result things got moving.
”In each of the Checklist sections – security, scientific-technical and trade and economic cooperation, regional issues, ties between societies – concrete results are in evidence. Of course, the degree of progress in each case varies. Not all the assignments have yet been fulfilled. I think, however, that this should not be dramatised. The things being worked through are fairly complex, and thus they required our additional impetus and personal control. But the co-performers on both sides searched honestly for a convergence of positions, realising the full measure of their responsibility. I believe these endeavours deserve praise. The most important thing is: in many respects we have succeeded, as we had in mind at Camp David, in cutting the distance between political accords and their implementation. On the whole, this serves to strengthen the partnership between our countries.
“In our view, it is worthwhile making necessary specifications to the list and formulating new assignments in keeping with the reciprocal priorities. Then the list will be a 'living,' dynamic, forward-looking document.“
Mr Putin gave a high assessment to the outcome of the recent talks in Moscow with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and noted the effectiveness of the mechanism of consultations between senior officials from the administrations of the presidents of the two countries.
The message went on to stress that since the first meeting with President Bush in Ljubljana a great deal had been achieved towards building qualitatively new relations.
”I am convinced that it is in our common interest to cherish the successes that have been accumulated, and I think through our practical actions we will be able to convincingly demonstrate that the partnership foundations of our relations remain immutable and that any speculations about a 'cooling-off' between Russia and the United States are far removed from reality. Russia will remain a stable, reliable and predictable partner.“
The message was delivered by Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office, who was on a visit to the US.