United States President George Bush was expected to press President Vladimir Putin at a weekend G8 summit over concerns the Russian leader is reining in the rights of the country’s opposition and media.
Pledging to ”continually remind Russia” that good ties with the West depend on sharing common democratic values, Bush was due to arrive in St Petersburg from Germany on Friday, a day before a meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations.
Bush will dine with Putin in the evening and will also meet activists from non-governmental organisations as part of an attempt to urge Russia to ease restrictions it recently placed on such groups.
There were no details on which groups he would meet. He promised to raise his concerns over freedoms ”in a respectful way”, and not to lecture Putin.
Bush and Putin forged a bond in 2001 over the fight against terrorism, but since then US criticism of Putin’s record on democracy has become a major source of tension.
The issue could overshadow the annual G8 summit, also attended by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, whose agenda includes world energy supplies and other global problems.
While neither Bush nor Putin is likely to give ground over US complaints on Russia’s democracy record, both have an interest in keeping their squabbling to a minimum, at least in public.
Playing host in his birthplace of St Petersburg to the G8 for the first time, Putin wants to showcase Russia’s clout as an energy superpower through discussions on energy security.
Bush is trying to enlist Russia’s support for a tougher stance toward the nuclear ambitions of both Iran and North Korea.
The G8 also must weigh its response to the crisis that has erupted in the Middle East after the capture by Hezbollah fighters of two Israel soldiers and reprisal attacks by Israel on parts of Lebanon.
MIDDLE EAST
The escalation of violence there will take some of the focus off US-Russian tensions over democracy, said Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
”There is less room for a clash between Bush and Putin than there might be otherwise,” Kupchan said.
He said Bush was sure to tone down criticisms during his St Petersburg visit and was right to do so. ”To embarrass Putin on his own turf would probably be a step too far,” Kupchan said.
Before the summit formally opens, Bush and Putin and their wives will have dinner at the lavish Constantine Palace. Weighty topics will probably be reserved for a meeting between the two leaders on Saturday and a working lunch.
If it is agreed in time, Bush and Putin will sign a trade agreement paving the way for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation. The two countries are also expected to announce the start of talks toward a deal on civilian nuclear energy cooperation.
Talks on Russia’s WTO bid resumed on Friday morning in Moscow but broke off for the negotiators — US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Russian Economy Minister German Gref — to fly to St Petersburg, where they will continue.
”We are going to continue to negotiate throughout the day,” Schwab’s spokesperson Sean Spicer said. ”There are still several issues that are unresolved but Ambassador Schwab and Mr Gref will continue to talk.”
Putin, a former Soviet spy, has said Russia will not tolerate anyone using the democracy issue to interfere in Russia’s domestic affairs, but has added that Russia is ready to listen to ”well-intentioned criticism”.
Russia says it will not stop anyone staging legitimate protests during the G8 summit. It has set aside a sports stadium for protesters to stage an alternative G8 forum. But forum organisers said Russian police have detained activists en route at train stations and airports. – Reuters