Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Bush, Putin Meeting Establishes Solid Ties

Aired June 16, 2001 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin today concluded their first summit by agreeing to visit each other's country.

CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King joins us live from Slovenia

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donna, perhaps we should call it a mini-summit, the leaders meeting for just a little over two hours. But still remarkably upbeat tone afterwards, after this first meeting between President George W. Bush of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

So much speculation coming into these talks about the difficult issues, U.S. plans for a missile defense, plans for NATO expansion that Russia so forcefully opposes, questions in the U.S. administration about Mr. Putin's commitment to press freedoms and democracy. Many thought, perhaps, a bit of a contentious summit, but the atmospherics all upbeat.

The leaders several times appearing in public, handshakes, smiles, a thumbs-up from the Russian president at one point. Then in a news conference, they jousted back and forth playfully with a crowd of reporters. Mr. Bush saying he leaves these talks quite satisfied. No major breakthroughs on any of the big policy issues between Russia and the United States, but Mr. Bush saying he believes they can deal with those issues down the road. He says he's convinced now these leaders will do business because he's sure they will more than just get along.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today has been a very constructive day. Everybody's trying to read body language: Mark me down as very pleased with the progress and the frank discussion. We'll meet again in July, then later in the fall, going to have the great Crawford, Texas Summit. And I believe that people who watch carefully our relationship will see that it grows and emerges. It starts with trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, mixed signals from President Putin on the issue of that U.S. missile defense plan. On the one hand, he called the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which the United States wants to set aside -- Mr. Putin called that the pillar, in his view, the cornerstone of arms control. Yet, he said at the same time, he's convinced if Washington and Moscow work together, perhaps they can develop a common approach.

One issue, though, on which he was clearly at odds with the president of the United States, the subject of NATO expansion. The United States and most of its European allies want to expand NATO again. Remember, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic added two years ago. More former Soviet satellite states on the list now for prospective members. Mr. Bush believes that should happen. Mr. Putin made clear he opposes it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): The positive feeling that we now have, developed today with President Bush, this could be a separate subject of discussion. Because you know, Russia is cooperating with NATO. We have an agreement. We have association. We have various accords and treaties, JPC. And there's no need to fire up this whole situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, Mr. Bush promising to send a high-level administration team to Russia in the near future to discuss more U.S. economic investment in Russia.

Most of all, the U.S. team leaving this mini-summit here today, upbeat. They say these two leaders looked each other in the eye. Mr. Bush says he trusts Mr. Putin and is convinced he can do business with him. Mr. Putin offered praise of the U.S. president as well. They will meet again several times later this year, beginning just a little more than a month from now in Italy.

John King, CNN, reporting live. Back to you.

DONNA KELLEY: All right, John King in Slovenia.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com