At the press conference following their meeting Vladimir Putin declared that Russia is interested in developing relations with Guatemala in both the economic and political spheres and placed particular emphasis on cooperation in the energy sector.
In reply to a question on his recent meeting with President George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin explained that the meeting was designed to present Russia’s position on international security issues to the American leadership. Vladimir Putin emphasised that Moscow’s proposals concerning anti-missile defense could change the nature of Russian-American relations.
The Russian head of state also expressed his hope that Sochi’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics will be successful, and pointed out that Russia’s many resources make it a worthy host.