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CNN Live Today

Bush-Putin News Conference

Aired February 24, 2005 - 11:30   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Let's show you that venue, or that place. This is Bratislava Caste. President Bush and President Putin are about to meet with reporters after their own three-hour meeting, a summit if you will, in Slovakia. Look for questions about the state of Russian democracy from President Bush, that is. Also, expect some questions about Iran's nuclear program and Russia's ties to Iran in particular. A lot to talk about. We'll have it for you as soon as they come out. You'll see it live right here on CNN.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now while we're waiting for that to begin, let's talk about the Russian attitudes on democracy and the Bush strategy. Janusz Bugajski is the author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism." He's also the director of the East European project at Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, and he joins us now.

Mr. Bugajski, thank you for being with us.

JANUSZ BUGAJSKI, DIR. CSIS EAST EUROPE PROJECT: Thank you for asking me.

KAGAN: And we'll have a discussion leading up to here to the news conference. These are two men, two leaders that seem to have connected in the past, and yet there are some key differences on some very important topics as we go into this news conference and this meeting.

BUGAJSKI: Yes, I think there are major directional differences between these two leaders. President Bush at outset of his second term has made a firm commitment to expanding the spear of democracy in the world, to push in the frontiers of democracy further east, to the Middle East, to central Asia and elsewhere.

KAGAN: I just want to jump in for a second to talk about this point of democracy. First of all, President Putin says, we do democracy, but we do it our way.

BUGAJSKI: Well, there is a problem when you attach an adjective to democracy. In other words, what Putin calls managed democracy, if you look at it coldly, is actually centralized democracy that's determined by the leadership in the Kremlin, and there has been a number of steps taken in the past year that have led a lot of people to question whether or not Putin is committed to a Democratic system, or a strong centralized system.

KAGAN: And then, when the president of the United States comes out and says to the people of the world, we support you as you're trying to spread democracy around the world, are those kind of statements threatening to the Russian leadership?

BUGAJSKI: Well, I think there are some in the Kremlin that view this as a threat to their potential sphere of interests in neighboring countries, which do want to move towards a democratic system, but are held back by corrupt leadership, as we witnessed in Ukraine, are supported by international forces, foreign forces, particularly by Russia. And I think it's incumbent on Russia to try to support democratic systems in its neighborhood, not anti-democratic systems.

KAGAN: Ukraine was a fascinating example of what we're talking about here. President Putin did not support Victor Yushchenko.

BUGAJSKI: Well, this was the problem, not so much who he supported, but the fact that he announced already his support for an election result that was clearly flawed, he's expressed support for a system which was corrupt, which wasn't a Democratic system. And when you had the victory of Viktor Yushchenko, finally, because of public pressure, Putin even then was quite reluctant to recognize this as the choice of the Ukranian people. So this was a choice of confrontation between United States and the Russian federation.

KAGAN: Let's look at another point here, and that is the situation with Iran, and accusations of trying to build nuclear weapons. This is something the United States is very concerned about. Clearly Russia or President Putin has a different view of this.

BUGAJSKI: Well, Russia views its traditional relationships with countries such as Iran and China and Syria as serving its interests, whether it's military interests, whether it's financial interests, and quite frankly, I believe they, unfortunately, want to maintain relationships with regimes that are becoming anathema to the United States, which would rather see a process of democratization and deny these regimes the ability and means to spread instability in the region.

KAGAN: And so with those different views, how is it that these two leaders will be able to sign agreements that show they're working together on nuclear security and against terrorism?

BUGAJSKI: Well, I must point out also there are areas where Russia and the United States have cooperated, can cooperate and will cooperate, particularly, for example, on combating international Islamic terrorism, areas of, for example, sharing Intelligence information, other kinds of assets that both sides have that can complement each other. And sometimes it is in Russia's interest to cooperate with the United States in areas of instability along its borders.

KAGAN: We were talking earlier with Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty about how these are difficult times for President Putin back in Russia. It seems like things became increasingly difficult for him, beginning with that terrible and that tragic standoff at Beslan, the school, back in September.

BUGAJSKI: Yes, I think the Beslan tragedy indicated a couple of things, one, that the security forces were unable of handling a major terrorist outrage within the country, and secondly, I think, Putin's reaction, rather than focusing on the terrorist challenge, the causes of it within Russia, he went the other direction in trying to recentralize the state, which, I think, quite frankly, is going to create even more problems for Russia, both within its borders, but also outside its borders.

KAGAN: And what are those key routes of that terrorism?

BUGAJSKI: Well, Chechnya, for example, the main one here in northern caucuses is Chechnya's aspirations towards independence. The way we have the situation right now, is there is a puppet regime in place in Grozny in Chechnya. We have Russian forces that also engage in massacres and human rights abuses, and this creates even more resentment of Moscow's rule, not only in Chechnya, but throughout the region.

KAGAN: Janusz Bugajski, thank you for your expertise. We, once again, are standing by. We expected this to begin about eight minutes ago. You gave us a lot of insight and things to listen to as we look forward this news conference with Presidents Bush and Putin.

SANCHEZ: You know that's funny, because you brought up that conversation about democracy and what the difference is between the democracy or the version of democracy as presented by President Bush and that as presented by some of those there in the Kremlin.

Jill Dougherty has been following this development and following some of the stories that have been coming out of the area there in Moscow. She is our Moscow bureau chief, and she's joining us now live, I understand.

In fact, here now a report that Jill filed just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It's the linchpin of George W. Bush's foreign policy, freedom and democracy.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

DOUGHERTY: Almost four years ago when Mr. Bush first met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovenia, it seemed he found a kindred spirit when it came to Democratic values.

BUSH: I was able to get a sense of his soul, a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.

DOUGHERTY: Now the Bush administration says it's worried about the country Mr. Putin is creating.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: It is important that Russia make clear to the world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the role of an independent judiciary, committing a free and independent press to flourish. These are all the basics of democracy.

DOUGHERTY: When it comes to people power, revolutions like Ukraine's, George Bush may think it's democracy in action, but Vladimir Putin does not.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): The most dangerous thing is to think up a system of permanent revolution. Now the rose revolution or the blue revolution. Of course, we should support and help democracies, but if we embark on the road of permanent revolutions, nothing good will come from this.

DOUGHERTY: A senior U.S. diplomat says President Bush will raise the issue of values, quote, "as a friend who wants to be a partner, not to isolate Russia." But Mr. Putin thinks isolating Russia may be what George Bush has in mind.

PUTIN: I don't think this is the purpose of the American policy, although we will have a meeting with President Bush that's scheduled for the near future and I will certainly ask him if this is really the case.

BUSH: The door is open.

DOUGHERTY: While the U.S. president may be on a mission to spread democracy throughout the world, the Russian president says his country already has democracy, Russian style.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: As you can see, this dual press conference that we told you about, or news conference, is running a bit late. It was scheduled for 11:30 Eastern. They're already at least ten minutes behind schedule, but I guess, keep in mind, American officials are probably not the ones controlling this.

KAGAN: Well, we don't know what's happening behind closed doors. We are monitoring it. We're going to take a break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And let's take that picture once again, just to show you the dual podiums that have been set up. This is that news conference that we're expecting at any moment between President Putin and President Bush. As we await that, let's talk it our expert once again, Janusz Bugakaski who's good enough to share some of his perspective with us. He's the author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism."

I think something that our viewers are still trying to get a handle on is what each side, the United States and the Russians, need or what kind of dealings they've had, particularly with Iran. When the United States says they need to talk to the Russians about Iran, what is it that the Russians have been doing that may be bothering the Bush administration?

JANUSZ BUGAJSKI, DIRECTOR, CSIS EAST EUROPE PROJECT: The main fear, I think, on the American side is that Russia has not only been sharing and selling nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, but also enabling Iran to potentially develop a nuclear bomb, a nuclear weapon, which would be destabilizing for the Middle Eastern region, particular with the presence of American troops in Iraq and elsewhere. I think that lies at the core of the dispute over Iran.

SANCHEZ: How would the Russians be doing that?

BUGAJSKI: Through selling, through selling nuclear technology, which the Iranians can invent nuclear material, which the Iranians can then use to develop nuclear weapons. That is the fear.

SANCHEZ: So it's likely then -- usually things like this are learned through the DEA or CIA or U.S. intelligence, because this is certainly not something that Putin would admit to, correct?

BUGAJSKI: Well, what Putin has said is that we're engaged in the process of peacefully helping Iranians develop nuclear power facilities and that we are not sharing nuclear technology that could then be used to develop weapon of mass destruction.

SANCHEZ: So, safe to say, pardon the interruption -- safe to say that during these discussions between President Bush and President Putin, President Bush is looking for assurances from President Putin that A, they're not doing that and B, that if they are, that they'll stop immediately. Correct?

BUGAJSKI: I think that that's probably a good way to sum it up. In addition, I think Russia and Iran are planning various trade deals, economic contacts. There are visits between the two countries, which I think the Americans are also looking at closely to see whether this is supporting propping up, if you like, the non-democratic regime in Tehran.

SANCHEZ: You know, whenever there's these talks, and we certainly saw it with talks during the Reagan administration, when he would go there, as well -- fine, we'll give you that. But here's what we want you to do. If they would settle on something like that, what would the Russians then, in turn, ask the United States for?

BUGAJSKI: Well, there's many areas of potential Russian demands from the United States, whether it's in the caucuses or whether in central Asia. Maybe, for example, it's to allow Russia to develop some of its bases in some of these areas, whether it's sharing of some sort of technology, whether it's agreement for Russia to enter the WTO. There are many areas where Russia can present a bargaining chip, if you like, with the United States.

SANCHEZ: Is the thing that ties them, the war on terrorism vis- a-vis Chechnya, for example, for the Russians and, obviously, Iraq and that region, for the United States?

BUGAJSKI: The war on terrorism clearly has created a new relationship in terms of where the United States and Russia can cooperate. I think the best example probably of this was in Afghanistan, where Russian support, I think, did play a role in helping the United States to target the Taliban to overthrow basically that regime. Also through enabling America to build bases in Central Asia, not opposing that deployment. I think there are areas of cooperation that have been quite visible in the past few years.

SANCHEZ: Janusz Bugajski, author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism." Thank you for your perspective.

BUGAJSKI: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: And while we stand by waiting for that news conference to begin in Slovakia, let's look at other news making headlines around the world.

Wildfires, not uncommon in the western U.S., but this is one is in the Patagonia region of Chile, at the very southern tip of South America. The area is world-renowned, a national park, and popular with international visitors. A Chezch tourist was fined the maximum $200 for accidentally starting the blaze.

In the Himalayas of Kashmir, emergency crews are digging through deep snow. Hundreds of people are fear buried beneath avalanches 15- 20 feet deep. The record snowfall has dropped 70 feet of snow in some places. At least 225 deaths have been confirmed.

Speaking of snow, look at the city of lights, Paris. This is what it looks like all dressed up in white. The winter storm covered parts of Europe yesterday. A lot of highways around Paris were tied up by traffic accidents and the capital's major airports were practically shut down.

SANCHEZ: Those images of destruction from the South Asian tsunamis are almost impossible to forget and now images of one couple's final moments together on a beach in Thailand seem to be frozen in time for their sons and for the world. Their story and the photos that they snapped as the tsunami approached from Canada's global TV reporter Ted Cherneki (ph). (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED CHERNEKI (ph), BC-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In all the carnage, in the debris fields and places meters deep and extending inland for kilometers, what are the chances of finding one particular digital camera?

CHRISTIAN PILET: I found a camera. He said it was ridiculously smashed. I didn't know what to do with it. And I said well, I said well, you know, and my view was we'll just junk it. We don't need it. And he said well, hold on. And he pulls out the compact flash. And he says you never know, the little card might have recorded something.

CHERNEKI: It did. And when this Seattle resident recently returned from Thailand, he knew that he possessed photos that were both incredible and disturbing. PILET: You could see these large navy ships in the distance, right before the wave dwarfed, by the size of the wave. And then the wave came closer in the pictures, then closer, and then it blew us away, because the very last picture showed a wall of water in front of the camera. And having now seen what the wave did, our only thought is that there's no way the person who took the picture could have survived.

CHERNEKI: There are hundreds of Web sites for the missing, yet amazingly his wife spotted photos on one site that matched those in the camera. Christian headed to north Vancouver.

CHRISTIAN KNILL, OLDEST SON: And they came that day from Seattle in the morning and brought me pictures of what had been my parents' camera, so, when the thing came. So, and there's pictures of them and then pictures of the last moments, so.

CHERNEKI: We were glad to be able to give them, this back to them. If anything, it's a gift, in a sense, from their parents. And it's something that hopefully they can treasure and use and decide what to do with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Ted Cherneki from Canada's Global TV reporting.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, we want to go live back to Slovakia, where we're seeing some movement in the room. We expect any minute President Bush and Putin to come to the podium, and they're each expected to make a statement, and also take questions, both from American and Russian reporters.

SANCHEZ: We should mention a good sign that things are about to happen, as we did see some movement while we were showing you that report. Members of the president's cabinet showed up and took their seats there along the front row, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She's right to the left of the first lady there.

KAGAN: OK, we have just been given the official two-minute warning.

SANCHEZ: Sometimes you wonder whether the two-minute warning means two minutes. Usually it does.

KAGAN: Especially with this president.

SANCHEZ: Right, a press representative from either of these presidents has told them that we're on our way up. Sometimes the only thing that separates whether the two-minute warning is accurate or not is the distance that the two men have to travel from the meeting room to the actual area where they're going to be speaking.

KAGAN: But with President Bush, it usually stays on time.

Let's talk about what we're listening for in this news conference, and we have with us Janusz Bugajski to talk a little bit more.

These are two men who in the past have said that even though they come to different cultures and different points of view, President Bush, at least, has came out and said he looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin, and he thinks this is a man he can trust.

Janusz, can you comment on that?

A few audio bugs today, in trying to get our guest to be able to hear us. We're looking to that, also even though there are some clear differences on where these men stand today on certain issues. We do expect that they're going to announce that they will be signing several agreements in the area of nuclear security and antiterrorism.

KAGAN: Yes, one of them to replace the highly enriched uranium fuel of research institutes around the world, and really this is the important part of this agreement, to prevent it from falling into the hands of terrorists. That's something that's extremely important and both men have genuinely agreed on.

SANCHEZ: The other one is that they're expected to agree on control of shoulder-fired missiles. Those are the ones that we've telling you about. Jill Dougherty mentioned it in her report with us earlier. Their dubbed "manpads." And certainly that's an important issue for both of these presidents.

KAGAN: It is, and it will be interesting to see how they get to this point of agreement on something like nuclear issues, especially with Iran. Some very different views.

President Bush and -- well, looks like we're seeing them come to the podium right now, President Bush of the United States and President Putin of Russia. Let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all.

I've just had a very important and constructive dialogue with my friend. It's great to see. I know Laura was pleased to see Ludmila Putin, as well.

We have had over the past four years very constructive relations, and that's the way I'm going to keep it for the next four years, as well.

We've had an open and candid exchange of views and positions.

In our meeting earlier, I said, "Vladimir, when we get in here, I think people are going to be very interested in this press conference for some reason. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because you're a leader of a great nation and I'm fortunate enough to be one, too." But you can see, we've drawn quite a crowd here. So I'm looking forward to answering their questions.

We produced a lot of positive results at this meeting. We agreed to accelerate our work to protect nuclear weapons and material, both in our two nations and around the world. And I want to thank you for that.

And I want to thank our defense ministers for working on that issue, as well. Minister Ivanov is here. He and Secretary Rumsfeld have had a very constructive relationship.

Our mil-to-mil exchanges are very positive, and I appreciate that. You and I talked about that a couple years ago. I think they're coming to fruition, which is a very important to make sure we understand each other better.

We agreed upon new efforts to fight the war on terror, to combat MANPADS and improvised explosive devices.

BUSH: And I want to thank you for that.

Vladimir has been a -- ever since September the 11th, he has clearly understood the stakes that we face.

Every time we meet we have an interesting and constructive strategy session about how to continue to protect our peoples from attack.

He has confronted some serious attacks in his country. I know what that means as a fellow leader. I know the strain, I know the agony, I know the sadness, I know the emotion that comes with seeing innocent people lose their lives. And we have shared that. I hope we never have to share it again, that common situation.

We agreed that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. And I appreciate Vladimir's understanding on that issue. We had a very constructive dialogue about how to achieve that common goal.

And we agreed that North Korea should not have a nuclear weapon. And, again, this is an area where we're working closely together as two nations of the five nations that are involved with North Korea.

And we agreed to accelerate negotiations for Russia's entry into the WTO. I stated that the other day in Brussels. And we talked about ways to move this process forward.

And we agreed to cooperate in the field of energy. I told Vladimir that Secretary Bodman would be our main representative on this issue, and I look forward to hearing about constructive dialogue on energy.

BUSH: We agreed to work together to find peace in the Middle East. Russia's a part of the quartet, and they played a constructive role in establishing the road map, and now we look forward to working together to achieve peace.

This meeting also gave me an opportunity to share my belief that it's in my country's interest that Russia be a strong and viable partner with the United States.

It's very important that we establish not only a working relationship, but that we understand that, in the 21st century, strong countries are built by developing strong democracies. And so we talked about democracy.

Democracies always reflect a country's customs and culture and I know that. Yet democracies have certain things in common. They have a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition.

Russia has made tremendous progress over the last 15 years. It's an amazing transformation of the nation. And I applaud President Putin for dealing with a country that is in transformation. And it's been hard work.

I was able to share my concerns about Russia's commitment in fulfilling these universal principles. I did so in a constructive and friendly way. I reaffirmed my belief that it is democracy and freedom that bring true security and prosperity in every land.

We may not always agree with each other -- and we haven't over the last four years, that's for certain -- but we have found a lot of agreement and a lot of common ground, and the world is better for it.

Even though we didn't agree on certain issues, if you really think about what we have done in the last four years and what we want to do during the next four years, the common ground is a lot more than those areas where we disagree.

And by working together, this world will be a safer, freer and more prosperous place.

Mr. President, it's great to see you again. Thank you.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): (OFF- MIKE) the status of the Russia- U.S. relationship, it is sure that over the past few years, through joint efforts, we have been able to accumulate a unique cooperation. We are engaged in a constructive political dialogue, and we are discovering new opportunities for joint (INAUDIBLE).

Russia and the U.S. share long-term interests, genuine strategic goals and certainly a great degree of responsibility before our own people and people of other countries.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We talked about international security. This reality is not affected by the circumstances of the moment or the constellation of political interests. Therefore, we can see no alternative to the consistent strengthening of the Russia-U.S. relationship.

In the course of this summit, we have agreed upon specific guidelines that will navigate us through the process of cooperation in the forthcoming three years.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This has to primarily start with addressing the threats and challenges of today: first and foremost, fighting terrorism. We have agreed to better coordinate our efforts on these fronts, including through the Russia-U.S. working group on counterterrorism, which has existed for five years.

Among the highlighted priorities have been the neutralization of the systems of financing and recruiting of terrorists, and work on identifying terrorist cells, et cetera.

We are ready to jointly work on the pressing problem of stemming the elicit trade in MANPADS. Our colleagues today agreed upon this in very concrete terms.

I would like to note that on the sidelines of this summit, the Russian minister of defense, Sergey Ivanov, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed a Russian-U.S. agreement on cooperation in enhancing control of the MANPADS.

It is important to neutralize the attempts to proliferate weapons of mass destruction. And we talked a lot about nonproliferation. We talked a lot about the situation in Iran, about the situation in North Korea.

And we share a common opinion in this regard and we are taking a similar approach: We should put an end to the proliferation of missile and missile technology. The proliferation of such weapons is not in the interest specific of countries or in the international community in general.

We have also exchanged our views on the situation in Iraq, in the Middle East. Russia and U.S. have at their disposal some solid opportunities for normalizing the situation in places where regional crises take place. We intend to actively use this potential.

We have paid great attention to the economic cooperation, including, as has already been said, the possible accession of Russia to the WTO.

We have reaffirmed our intention to continue our search for mutually acceptable solutions of the outstanding problems.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Russia is ready for a reasonable compromise. But this compromise should not go beyond the usual responsibilities as seen by countries acceding to the WTO.

In the presence of the press, I would like to thank the president of the United States for the serious message that our negotiators noticed in the course of negotiations, a message aimed at resolving all the problems that stand in the way of Russia ascension to the WTO.

I'm sure that not only Russian economy, but also the U.S. economy, are interested in the positive outcome.

We have also discussed the issues leading to Russia-U.S. energy dialogue. We've had progress in this area. Some good progress. We're going to continue this dialogue.

Some issues have been positively resolved in terms of expanding the operation of U.S. companies in the Russian energy market.

ConocoPhillips, as you know, has bought a stake in Lukoil, one of the major Russian oil companies. It bought a stake that used to belong to the Russian state. This happened recently, and I'm confident that this will be a success story, both for Russian and U.S. partners.

Another important and interesting opportunity is our cooperation in the supplies of liquefied natural gas. In the years 2010, 2011, a large amount of liquefied natural gas can be supplied from Russia to the United States.

Our investment corporation is becoming generally bilateral. The first steps, but confident steps, are being made by Russian companies that are starting to invest capital into the American economy.

We have also discussed the status and prospects of Russia's cooperation in science, high-tech and, in particular, in the exploration of outer space.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In conclusion, I would like to say that I highly appreciate the outcome of this summit. Later this year, we're going to meet a few more times within the framework of various international fora.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the president of the United States, who has accepted the invitation to participate in the festivities on the occasion of the anniversary of the great victory on May 9th in Moscow. This is a natural manifestation of respect of historic memory and the memory of the alliance that bonded our two countries in the years of the Second World War.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. President, four years ago, when you first met with President Putin, at a time some in the world were questioning his commitment to democracy, you reassured a lot of those (OFF-MIKE) into his soul and saw a man that you found trustworthy.

You've just listed some concerns here today. I'm wondering if you could unequivocally and without reservation repeat that statement today.

And, Mr. Putin, I'd like to ask you to address critics in the United States and elsewhere who saw Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Yeltsin as taking early steps on the path to democracy and worry that you have reversed course.

BUSH: One thing gave me comfort in making the statement I made in Slovenia was that Vladimir said, "When I agree with you, I'll tell you; and when I disagree with you, I'll tell you." In other words, we'll have a very frank and candid and open relationship.

And that's the way it's been.

BUSH: There was no doubt in my mind what his position was on Iraq. He didn't, kind of, hedge, he didn't try to, you know, cloud up the issue. He made it abundantly clear to me that he didn't agree with my decision.

And that's an important part of having a trustworthy relationship, a relationship where when a person tells you something, you know he means what he says, and yes means yes and no means no.

Sometimes in politics yes means maybe. And no means if. This is the kind of fellow who when he says yes, he means yes, and when he says no, he means no.

And we had a discussion about some decisions he's made. He's had some interest in decisions I've made. That's a very important dialogue.

As I said, I'll say it again, I think it's very important that all nations understand the great values inherent in democracy: rule of law and the protection of minorities, viable political debate. And when I brought that -- I don't want to put -- Vladimir can speak for himself on that issue. But all you can tell you is he said yes meant yes when we talked about values that we share.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, I'd like to say that we discussed these issues at length, face-to-face, just the two of us.

Russia has made its choice in favor of democracy. Fourteen years ago, independently, without any pressure from outside, it made that decision in the interest of itself, in the interest of its people, of its citizens.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is our final choice and we have no way back. There can be no return to what we used to have before. And the guarantee for this is the choice of the Russian people themselves.

No guarantees from outside cannot be provided. This is impossible. It would be impossible for Russia today. Any kind of turn toward totalitarianism for Russia would be impossible due to the condition of the Russian society.

As far as the questions that are being discussed among our partners in the media, I can only repeat what has been said by the president of the United States.

First, we are not going to make up, to invent any kind of special Russian democracy. We're going to remain committed to the fundamental principles of democracy that have been established in the world.

But, of course, all the modern institutions of democracy, the principles of democracy, should be adequate to the current status of the development of Russia, to our history and our traditions.

There nothing unusual here either. In every country, these overall principles are embodied that way, in electoral law. We can compare the United States and a number of European countries in the operation of major democratic institutions. There may be some differences, but the main fundamental principles are going to be implemented in the form in which they're developed by the modern, civilized society.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As far as the preceding period in our development, no doubt the credit that can be given to that period in the development of the Russian Federation for the fact that the previous generation of politicians -- despite all the difficulties that have arisen due to changes in Russia, they have given the main thing to the Russian people: That is freedom.

But I believe that -- and a lot of people will agree with me -- the implementation of the principles and norms of democracy should not be accompanied by the collapse of the state and impoverishment of the people.

We believe -- and I, personally, believe that the implementation in the strict new democracy on the Russian soil should not jeopardize the concept of democracy. It should strengthen statehood and it should improve living standards for the people.

It is in this direction that we're going to act.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, I wanted to ask another question, but we have an interesting conversation now, therefore I'm going to ask about the following.

It seems to me that you have nothing to disagree about. The regimes in place in Russia and the U.S. cannot be considered fully democratic, especially when compared to some other countries of Europe, for example; for example, the Netherlands.

It seems to me that, as far as Russia is concerned, everything is clear more or less. But as far as the U.S. is concerned, we could probably talk at length.

I'm referring to the great powers that have been assumed by the security services due to which the private lives of citizens are now being monitored by the state.

QUESTION (TROUGH TRANSLATOR): This could be explained away by the consequences of September 11th, but this has nothing to do with democratic values.

How could you comment on this?

I suggest that you can probably agree, that you can probably shake hands and continue to be friends in future.

BUSH: I live in a transparent country. I live in a country where decisions made by government are wide open and people are able to call people to me to account, which many out here do on a regular basis.

Our laws and the reasons why we have laws on the books are perfectly explained to people. Every decision we have made is within the Constitution of the United States. We have a constitution that we uphold.

And if there's a question as to whether or not a law meets that constitution, we have an independent court system through which that law is reviewed.

So I'm perfectly comfortable in telling you, our country is one that safeguards human rights and human dignity, and we resolve our disputes in a peaceful way.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'd like to support my American counterpart. I'm absolutely confident that democracy is not anarchy. It is not a possibility to do anything you want. It is not the possibility for anyone to rob your own people.

Democracy is, among other things, and first and foremost, the possibility to democratically make democratic laws and the capability of the state to enforce those laws.

You have cited a curious example, the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a monarchy, after all. I have no doubts about the democratic nature of that country.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is certainly a democratic nation, but this is very different from the United States and Russia. There are great differences between Russia and the U.S. as well.

If we talk about whether we have more or whether we have less democracy is not the right thing to do. But if we talk about how the fundamental principles of democracy are implemented in this or that historic soil, in this or that country, is an option -- it's possible. This does not compromise the dignity of the Netherlands or Russia or the U.S.

QUESTION: President Bush, were you satisfied with (OFF-MIKE) that President Putin gave you today on some of the decisions he has made on his democratic institutions, or have you just agreed to disagree?

And, President Putin, did anything President Bush said to you today prompt you to reconsider some of those decisions?

BUSH: I think the most important statement that you heard and I heard was the president's statement when he declared his absolute support for democracy in Russia and they're not turning back. To me that is the most important statement of my private meeting and it's the most important statement of this public press conference.

I can tell you what it's like dealing with the man over the last four years: When he tells you something, he means it. He asked what some of my concerns were, and he explained answers.

I told him it was very important that capital see a rule of law, that there be stability, there not be a doubt about whether or not somebody invests or whether or not the laws change.

BUSH: And I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear, and he explained why he made decisions he made.

We had very frank discussions about a variety of issues, and the operative -- again, the operative statement, the summary statement that I think is important for people to hear in our country is precisely his opening statement to King's question, speaking about monarchies, anyway. Get it? Was...

(LAUGHTER)

It's late in the trip -- was his firm belief in democracy, and I appreciate that.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have already mentioned that we have paid a lot of attention to these issues. I get the impression that sometimes the public in our partner countries do not have the full knowledge and consequently do not have the full understanding of what is taking place in the Russian Federation.

Naturally, within our country there are people who are in favor and there are those who are opposed to the decisions that are being made; for example, the decision on the new procedure for the election of regional leaders in the Russian Federation.

But those who are opposed are richer than those who are in favor. They have the opportunity to spread their opinion in the media and we often do not pay the attention to that.

I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that the leaders of the regions of the Russian Federation will not be appointed by the president. The candidates will be presented -- will be submitted to regional parliaments that are elected through secret ballot by all the citizens.

This is, in essence, a system of the electoral college which is used on the national level in the United States. And it's not considered undemocratic, is it?

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We discussed these issues at length, and some of the ideas -- I wouldn't say advice, but some of the ideas that I heard from my partner who I respect a lot. And I believe that some of his ideas could be taken into account in my work. And I will pay due attention to them, that's for sure.

Some other ideas I will not comment on.

Thank you.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about?

Your aides probably mentioned to you that our media, both electronic and our printed media, have full coverage on the manifestations and protests in our country. Our regional and national media often criticize the government institution. What about -- why don't you talk a lot about violation of rights of journalists in the United States, about the fact that some journalists have been fired or do you prefer to discuss this in private with your American colleague?

BUSH: I don't know what journalists you're referring to.

Do any of you all still have your jobs?

Look, I think it's important any viable democracy has got a free and active press.

Obviously, if you're a member of the Russian press, you feel like the press is free.

Feel that way?

That's good.

But I've talked to Vladimir about that. And he wanted to know about our press. It's a nice bunch of folks. And he wanted to know about, as you mentioned, the subject of somebody getting fired. People do get fired in American press. They don't get fired by government, however. They get fired by their editors or they get fired by their producers or they get fired by the owners of a particular outlet or network.

But a free press is important.

BUSH: And it is an important part of any democracy.

If you're a member of the press corps and you feel comfortable with the press in Russia, I think that's a pretty interesting observation for those of us who don't live in Russia to listen to.

But no question, whether it be in America or anywhere else, the sign of a healthy and vibrant society is one where there's an active press corps.

Obviously there's got to be constraints. I mean, there's got to be truth. People've got to tell the truth. And if somebody violates the truth -- and those who own a particular newspaper or those who are in charge of a particular electronic station need to hold people to account. The press, the capacity of the press to hold people to account also depends on their willingness to self-examine at times when they're wrong.

And that happens on occasion in America. And that's an important part of maintaining a proper relationship between government and press.

I can assure you that the folks here are constantly trying to hold me to account for decisions I make and how I make decisions. I'm comfortable with that. It's part of the checks and balances of a democracy. And so I'm glad to hear your editorial comments, so to speak, on your comfort with the situation of the press corps in the Federation of Russia.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, what do you mean when you say I keep silent or we keep silent about this or that problem?

First of all, I'm not the minister of propaganda.

Second, we discuss all issues in absolute openness.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As George said, today we discussed this issue as well with regard to Russia and the United States.

But what is absolutely obvious is that in the United States there are a lot of mechanisms to uphold the freedom of the press. And as far as the fact that there is some kind of friction between the media and the government, there is an ongoing debate, an ongoing critical debate going on, there is a lot of criticism coming from the media with respect to the government. This is a manifestation of democracy.

What you mentioned about the comments in the media of the actions of the Russian government is testimony to the fact that we do have a freedom of the press, although we're being criticized often that this is not the case.

When we discuss these issues, absolutely frankly, we -- and I, in particular -- do not think that this has to be pushed to the foreground; that new problems should be created from nothing. And I do not think that we should jeopardize the Russian-American relationship, because we're interested in the development of this relationship.

We are paying close attention to all the comments of the press or opposing forces, but our responsibility is to, in spite of all these problems, of which there are plenty, positively develop the Russian- American relationship.

I'd like to thank the president of the United States for this constructive dialogue that we've had today.

Thank you very much.

BUSH: Good job. See you in May -- early May.

(APPLAUSE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We've been watching a news conference in Slovakia with President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. I'm sitting in for Wolf Blitzer today. And we want to thank you for joining us, this live coverage of President Bush's stop in Slovakia to meet with the Russian leader.

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


Aired February 24, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Let's show you that venue, or that place. This is Bratislava Caste. President Bush and President Putin are about to meet with reporters after their own three-hour meeting, a summit if you will, in Slovakia. Look for questions about the state of Russian democracy from President Bush, that is. Also, expect some questions about Iran's nuclear program and Russia's ties to Iran in particular. A lot to talk about. We'll have it for you as soon as they come out. You'll see it live right here on CNN.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now while we're waiting for that to begin, let's talk about the Russian attitudes on democracy and the Bush strategy. Janusz Bugajski is the author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism." He's also the director of the East European project at Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, and he joins us now.

Mr. Bugajski, thank you for being with us.

JANUSZ BUGAJSKI, DIR. CSIS EAST EUROPE PROJECT: Thank you for asking me.

KAGAN: And we'll have a discussion leading up to here to the news conference. These are two men, two leaders that seem to have connected in the past, and yet there are some key differences on some very important topics as we go into this news conference and this meeting.

BUGAJSKI: Yes, I think there are major directional differences between these two leaders. President Bush at outset of his second term has made a firm commitment to expanding the spear of democracy in the world, to push in the frontiers of democracy further east, to the Middle East, to central Asia and elsewhere.

KAGAN: I just want to jump in for a second to talk about this point of democracy. First of all, President Putin says, we do democracy, but we do it our way.

BUGAJSKI: Well, there is a problem when you attach an adjective to democracy. In other words, what Putin calls managed democracy, if you look at it coldly, is actually centralized democracy that's determined by the leadership in the Kremlin, and there has been a number of steps taken in the past year that have led a lot of people to question whether or not Putin is committed to a Democratic system, or a strong centralized system.

KAGAN: And then, when the president of the United States comes out and says to the people of the world, we support you as you're trying to spread democracy around the world, are those kind of statements threatening to the Russian leadership?

BUGAJSKI: Well, I think there are some in the Kremlin that view this as a threat to their potential sphere of interests in neighboring countries, which do want to move towards a democratic system, but are held back by corrupt leadership, as we witnessed in Ukraine, are supported by international forces, foreign forces, particularly by Russia. And I think it's incumbent on Russia to try to support democratic systems in its neighborhood, not anti-democratic systems.

KAGAN: Ukraine was a fascinating example of what we're talking about here. President Putin did not support Victor Yushchenko.

BUGAJSKI: Well, this was the problem, not so much who he supported, but the fact that he announced already his support for an election result that was clearly flawed, he's expressed support for a system which was corrupt, which wasn't a Democratic system. And when you had the victory of Viktor Yushchenko, finally, because of public pressure, Putin even then was quite reluctant to recognize this as the choice of the Ukranian people. So this was a choice of confrontation between United States and the Russian federation.

KAGAN: Let's look at another point here, and that is the situation with Iran, and accusations of trying to build nuclear weapons. This is something the United States is very concerned about. Clearly Russia or President Putin has a different view of this.

BUGAJSKI: Well, Russia views its traditional relationships with countries such as Iran and China and Syria as serving its interests, whether it's military interests, whether it's financial interests, and quite frankly, I believe they, unfortunately, want to maintain relationships with regimes that are becoming anathema to the United States, which would rather see a process of democratization and deny these regimes the ability and means to spread instability in the region.

KAGAN: And so with those different views, how is it that these two leaders will be able to sign agreements that show they're working together on nuclear security and against terrorism?

BUGAJSKI: Well, I must point out also there are areas where Russia and the United States have cooperated, can cooperate and will cooperate, particularly, for example, on combating international Islamic terrorism, areas of, for example, sharing Intelligence information, other kinds of assets that both sides have that can complement each other. And sometimes it is in Russia's interest to cooperate with the United States in areas of instability along its borders.

KAGAN: We were talking earlier with Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty about how these are difficult times for President Putin back in Russia. It seems like things became increasingly difficult for him, beginning with that terrible and that tragic standoff at Beslan, the school, back in September.

BUGAJSKI: Yes, I think the Beslan tragedy indicated a couple of things, one, that the security forces were unable of handling a major terrorist outrage within the country, and secondly, I think, Putin's reaction, rather than focusing on the terrorist challenge, the causes of it within Russia, he went the other direction in trying to recentralize the state, which, I think, quite frankly, is going to create even more problems for Russia, both within its borders, but also outside its borders.

KAGAN: And what are those key routes of that terrorism?

BUGAJSKI: Well, Chechnya, for example, the main one here in northern caucuses is Chechnya's aspirations towards independence. The way we have the situation right now, is there is a puppet regime in place in Grozny in Chechnya. We have Russian forces that also engage in massacres and human rights abuses, and this creates even more resentment of Moscow's rule, not only in Chechnya, but throughout the region.

KAGAN: Janusz Bugajski, thank you for your expertise. We, once again, are standing by. We expected this to begin about eight minutes ago. You gave us a lot of insight and things to listen to as we look forward this news conference with Presidents Bush and Putin.

SANCHEZ: You know that's funny, because you brought up that conversation about democracy and what the difference is between the democracy or the version of democracy as presented by President Bush and that as presented by some of those there in the Kremlin.

Jill Dougherty has been following this development and following some of the stories that have been coming out of the area there in Moscow. She is our Moscow bureau chief, and she's joining us now live, I understand.

In fact, here now a report that Jill filed just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It's the linchpin of George W. Bush's foreign policy, freedom and democracy.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

DOUGHERTY: Almost four years ago when Mr. Bush first met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovenia, it seemed he found a kindred spirit when it came to Democratic values.

BUSH: I was able to get a sense of his soul, a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.

DOUGHERTY: Now the Bush administration says it's worried about the country Mr. Putin is creating.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: It is important that Russia make clear to the world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the role of an independent judiciary, committing a free and independent press to flourish. These are all the basics of democracy.

DOUGHERTY: When it comes to people power, revolutions like Ukraine's, George Bush may think it's democracy in action, but Vladimir Putin does not.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): The most dangerous thing is to think up a system of permanent revolution. Now the rose revolution or the blue revolution. Of course, we should support and help democracies, but if we embark on the road of permanent revolutions, nothing good will come from this.

DOUGHERTY: A senior U.S. diplomat says President Bush will raise the issue of values, quote, "as a friend who wants to be a partner, not to isolate Russia." But Mr. Putin thinks isolating Russia may be what George Bush has in mind.

PUTIN: I don't think this is the purpose of the American policy, although we will have a meeting with President Bush that's scheduled for the near future and I will certainly ask him if this is really the case.

BUSH: The door is open.

DOUGHERTY: While the U.S. president may be on a mission to spread democracy throughout the world, the Russian president says his country already has democracy, Russian style.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: As you can see, this dual press conference that we told you about, or news conference, is running a bit late. It was scheduled for 11:30 Eastern. They're already at least ten minutes behind schedule, but I guess, keep in mind, American officials are probably not the ones controlling this.

KAGAN: Well, we don't know what's happening behind closed doors. We are monitoring it. We're going to take a break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And let's take that picture once again, just to show you the dual podiums that have been set up. This is that news conference that we're expecting at any moment between President Putin and President Bush. As we await that, let's talk it our expert once again, Janusz Bugakaski who's good enough to share some of his perspective with us. He's the author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism."

I think something that our viewers are still trying to get a handle on is what each side, the United States and the Russians, need or what kind of dealings they've had, particularly with Iran. When the United States says they need to talk to the Russians about Iran, what is it that the Russians have been doing that may be bothering the Bush administration?

JANUSZ BUGAJSKI, DIRECTOR, CSIS EAST EUROPE PROJECT: The main fear, I think, on the American side is that Russia has not only been sharing and selling nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, but also enabling Iran to potentially develop a nuclear bomb, a nuclear weapon, which would be destabilizing for the Middle Eastern region, particular with the presence of American troops in Iraq and elsewhere. I think that lies at the core of the dispute over Iran.

SANCHEZ: How would the Russians be doing that?

BUGAJSKI: Through selling, through selling nuclear technology, which the Iranians can invent nuclear material, which the Iranians can then use to develop nuclear weapons. That is the fear.

SANCHEZ: So it's likely then -- usually things like this are learned through the DEA or CIA or U.S. intelligence, because this is certainly not something that Putin would admit to, correct?

BUGAJSKI: Well, what Putin has said is that we're engaged in the process of peacefully helping Iranians develop nuclear power facilities and that we are not sharing nuclear technology that could then be used to develop weapon of mass destruction.

SANCHEZ: So, safe to say, pardon the interruption -- safe to say that during these discussions between President Bush and President Putin, President Bush is looking for assurances from President Putin that A, they're not doing that and B, that if they are, that they'll stop immediately. Correct?

BUGAJSKI: I think that that's probably a good way to sum it up. In addition, I think Russia and Iran are planning various trade deals, economic contacts. There are visits between the two countries, which I think the Americans are also looking at closely to see whether this is supporting propping up, if you like, the non-democratic regime in Tehran.

SANCHEZ: You know, whenever there's these talks, and we certainly saw it with talks during the Reagan administration, when he would go there, as well -- fine, we'll give you that. But here's what we want you to do. If they would settle on something like that, what would the Russians then, in turn, ask the United States for?

BUGAJSKI: Well, there's many areas of potential Russian demands from the United States, whether it's in the caucuses or whether in central Asia. Maybe, for example, it's to allow Russia to develop some of its bases in some of these areas, whether it's sharing of some sort of technology, whether it's agreement for Russia to enter the WTO. There are many areas where Russia can present a bargaining chip, if you like, with the United States.

SANCHEZ: Is the thing that ties them, the war on terrorism vis- a-vis Chechnya, for example, for the Russians and, obviously, Iraq and that region, for the United States?

BUGAJSKI: The war on terrorism clearly has created a new relationship in terms of where the United States and Russia can cooperate. I think the best example probably of this was in Afghanistan, where Russian support, I think, did play a role in helping the United States to target the Taliban to overthrow basically that regime. Also through enabling America to build bases in Central Asia, not opposing that deployment. I think there are areas of cooperation that have been quite visible in the past few years.

SANCHEZ: Janusz Bugajski, author of the book "Cold Peace: Russia's New Imperialism." Thank you for your perspective.

BUGAJSKI: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: And while we stand by waiting for that news conference to begin in Slovakia, let's look at other news making headlines around the world.

Wildfires, not uncommon in the western U.S., but this is one is in the Patagonia region of Chile, at the very southern tip of South America. The area is world-renowned, a national park, and popular with international visitors. A Chezch tourist was fined the maximum $200 for accidentally starting the blaze.

In the Himalayas of Kashmir, emergency crews are digging through deep snow. Hundreds of people are fear buried beneath avalanches 15- 20 feet deep. The record snowfall has dropped 70 feet of snow in some places. At least 225 deaths have been confirmed.

Speaking of snow, look at the city of lights, Paris. This is what it looks like all dressed up in white. The winter storm covered parts of Europe yesterday. A lot of highways around Paris were tied up by traffic accidents and the capital's major airports were practically shut down.

SANCHEZ: Those images of destruction from the South Asian tsunamis are almost impossible to forget and now images of one couple's final moments together on a beach in Thailand seem to be frozen in time for their sons and for the world. Their story and the photos that they snapped as the tsunami approached from Canada's global TV reporter Ted Cherneki (ph). (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED CHERNEKI (ph), BC-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In all the carnage, in the debris fields and places meters deep and extending inland for kilometers, what are the chances of finding one particular digital camera?

CHRISTIAN PILET: I found a camera. He said it was ridiculously smashed. I didn't know what to do with it. And I said well, I said well, you know, and my view was we'll just junk it. We don't need it. And he said well, hold on. And he pulls out the compact flash. And he says you never know, the little card might have recorded something.

CHERNEKI: It did. And when this Seattle resident recently returned from Thailand, he knew that he possessed photos that were both incredible and disturbing. PILET: You could see these large navy ships in the distance, right before the wave dwarfed, by the size of the wave. And then the wave came closer in the pictures, then closer, and then it blew us away, because the very last picture showed a wall of water in front of the camera. And having now seen what the wave did, our only thought is that there's no way the person who took the picture could have survived.

CHERNEKI: There are hundreds of Web sites for the missing, yet amazingly his wife spotted photos on one site that matched those in the camera. Christian headed to north Vancouver.

CHRISTIAN KNILL, OLDEST SON: And they came that day from Seattle in the morning and brought me pictures of what had been my parents' camera, so, when the thing came. So, and there's pictures of them and then pictures of the last moments, so.

CHERNEKI: We were glad to be able to give them, this back to them. If anything, it's a gift, in a sense, from their parents. And it's something that hopefully they can treasure and use and decide what to do with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Ted Cherneki from Canada's Global TV reporting.

KAGAN: Meanwhile, we want to go live back to Slovakia, where we're seeing some movement in the room. We expect any minute President Bush and Putin to come to the podium, and they're each expected to make a statement, and also take questions, both from American and Russian reporters.

SANCHEZ: We should mention a good sign that things are about to happen, as we did see some movement while we were showing you that report. Members of the president's cabinet showed up and took their seats there along the front row, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She's right to the left of the first lady there.

KAGAN: OK, we have just been given the official two-minute warning.

SANCHEZ: Sometimes you wonder whether the two-minute warning means two minutes. Usually it does.

KAGAN: Especially with this president.

SANCHEZ: Right, a press representative from either of these presidents has told them that we're on our way up. Sometimes the only thing that separates whether the two-minute warning is accurate or not is the distance that the two men have to travel from the meeting room to the actual area where they're going to be speaking.

KAGAN: But with President Bush, it usually stays on time.

Let's talk about what we're listening for in this news conference, and we have with us Janusz Bugajski to talk a little bit more.

These are two men who in the past have said that even though they come to different cultures and different points of view, President Bush, at least, has came out and said he looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin, and he thinks this is a man he can trust.

Janusz, can you comment on that?

A few audio bugs today, in trying to get our guest to be able to hear us. We're looking to that, also even though there are some clear differences on where these men stand today on certain issues. We do expect that they're going to announce that they will be signing several agreements in the area of nuclear security and antiterrorism.

KAGAN: Yes, one of them to replace the highly enriched uranium fuel of research institutes around the world, and really this is the important part of this agreement, to prevent it from falling into the hands of terrorists. That's something that's extremely important and both men have genuinely agreed on.

SANCHEZ: The other one is that they're expected to agree on control of shoulder-fired missiles. Those are the ones that we've telling you about. Jill Dougherty mentioned it in her report with us earlier. Their dubbed "manpads." And certainly that's an important issue for both of these presidents.

KAGAN: It is, and it will be interesting to see how they get to this point of agreement on something like nuclear issues, especially with Iran. Some very different views.

President Bush and -- well, looks like we're seeing them come to the podium right now, President Bush of the United States and President Putin of Russia. Let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all.

I've just had a very important and constructive dialogue with my friend. It's great to see. I know Laura was pleased to see Ludmila Putin, as well.

We have had over the past four years very constructive relations, and that's the way I'm going to keep it for the next four years, as well.

We've had an open and candid exchange of views and positions.

In our meeting earlier, I said, "Vladimir, when we get in here, I think people are going to be very interested in this press conference for some reason. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because you're a leader of a great nation and I'm fortunate enough to be one, too." But you can see, we've drawn quite a crowd here. So I'm looking forward to answering their questions.

We produced a lot of positive results at this meeting. We agreed to accelerate our work to protect nuclear weapons and material, both in our two nations and around the world. And I want to thank you for that.

And I want to thank our defense ministers for working on that issue, as well. Minister Ivanov is here. He and Secretary Rumsfeld have had a very constructive relationship.

Our mil-to-mil exchanges are very positive, and I appreciate that. You and I talked about that a couple years ago. I think they're coming to fruition, which is a very important to make sure we understand each other better.

We agreed upon new efforts to fight the war on terror, to combat MANPADS and improvised explosive devices.

BUSH: And I want to thank you for that.

Vladimir has been a -- ever since September the 11th, he has clearly understood the stakes that we face.

Every time we meet we have an interesting and constructive strategy session about how to continue to protect our peoples from attack.

He has confronted some serious attacks in his country. I know what that means as a fellow leader. I know the strain, I know the agony, I know the sadness, I know the emotion that comes with seeing innocent people lose their lives. And we have shared that. I hope we never have to share it again, that common situation.

We agreed that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. And I appreciate Vladimir's understanding on that issue. We had a very constructive dialogue about how to achieve that common goal.

And we agreed that North Korea should not have a nuclear weapon. And, again, this is an area where we're working closely together as two nations of the five nations that are involved with North Korea.

And we agreed to accelerate negotiations for Russia's entry into the WTO. I stated that the other day in Brussels. And we talked about ways to move this process forward.

And we agreed to cooperate in the field of energy. I told Vladimir that Secretary Bodman would be our main representative on this issue, and I look forward to hearing about constructive dialogue on energy.

BUSH: We agreed to work together to find peace in the Middle East. Russia's a part of the quartet, and they played a constructive role in establishing the road map, and now we look forward to working together to achieve peace.

This meeting also gave me an opportunity to share my belief that it's in my country's interest that Russia be a strong and viable partner with the United States.

It's very important that we establish not only a working relationship, but that we understand that, in the 21st century, strong countries are built by developing strong democracies. And so we talked about democracy.

Democracies always reflect a country's customs and culture and I know that. Yet democracies have certain things in common. They have a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition.

Russia has made tremendous progress over the last 15 years. It's an amazing transformation of the nation. And I applaud President Putin for dealing with a country that is in transformation. And it's been hard work.

I was able to share my concerns about Russia's commitment in fulfilling these universal principles. I did so in a constructive and friendly way. I reaffirmed my belief that it is democracy and freedom that bring true security and prosperity in every land.

We may not always agree with each other -- and we haven't over the last four years, that's for certain -- but we have found a lot of agreement and a lot of common ground, and the world is better for it.

Even though we didn't agree on certain issues, if you really think about what we have done in the last four years and what we want to do during the next four years, the common ground is a lot more than those areas where we disagree.

And by working together, this world will be a safer, freer and more prosperous place.

Mr. President, it's great to see you again. Thank you.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): (OFF- MIKE) the status of the Russia- U.S. relationship, it is sure that over the past few years, through joint efforts, we have been able to accumulate a unique cooperation. We are engaged in a constructive political dialogue, and we are discovering new opportunities for joint (INAUDIBLE).

Russia and the U.S. share long-term interests, genuine strategic goals and certainly a great degree of responsibility before our own people and people of other countries.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We talked about international security. This reality is not affected by the circumstances of the moment or the constellation of political interests. Therefore, we can see no alternative to the consistent strengthening of the Russia-U.S. relationship.

In the course of this summit, we have agreed upon specific guidelines that will navigate us through the process of cooperation in the forthcoming three years.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This has to primarily start with addressing the threats and challenges of today: first and foremost, fighting terrorism. We have agreed to better coordinate our efforts on these fronts, including through the Russia-U.S. working group on counterterrorism, which has existed for five years.

Among the highlighted priorities have been the neutralization of the systems of financing and recruiting of terrorists, and work on identifying terrorist cells, et cetera.

We are ready to jointly work on the pressing problem of stemming the elicit trade in MANPADS. Our colleagues today agreed upon this in very concrete terms.

I would like to note that on the sidelines of this summit, the Russian minister of defense, Sergey Ivanov, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed a Russian-U.S. agreement on cooperation in enhancing control of the MANPADS.

It is important to neutralize the attempts to proliferate weapons of mass destruction. And we talked a lot about nonproliferation. We talked a lot about the situation in Iran, about the situation in North Korea.

And we share a common opinion in this regard and we are taking a similar approach: We should put an end to the proliferation of missile and missile technology. The proliferation of such weapons is not in the interest specific of countries or in the international community in general.

We have also exchanged our views on the situation in Iraq, in the Middle East. Russia and U.S. have at their disposal some solid opportunities for normalizing the situation in places where regional crises take place. We intend to actively use this potential.

We have paid great attention to the economic cooperation, including, as has already been said, the possible accession of Russia to the WTO.

We have reaffirmed our intention to continue our search for mutually acceptable solutions of the outstanding problems.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Russia is ready for a reasonable compromise. But this compromise should not go beyond the usual responsibilities as seen by countries acceding to the WTO.

In the presence of the press, I would like to thank the president of the United States for the serious message that our negotiators noticed in the course of negotiations, a message aimed at resolving all the problems that stand in the way of Russia ascension to the WTO.

I'm sure that not only Russian economy, but also the U.S. economy, are interested in the positive outcome.

We have also discussed the issues leading to Russia-U.S. energy dialogue. We've had progress in this area. Some good progress. We're going to continue this dialogue.

Some issues have been positively resolved in terms of expanding the operation of U.S. companies in the Russian energy market.

ConocoPhillips, as you know, has bought a stake in Lukoil, one of the major Russian oil companies. It bought a stake that used to belong to the Russian state. This happened recently, and I'm confident that this will be a success story, both for Russian and U.S. partners.

Another important and interesting opportunity is our cooperation in the supplies of liquefied natural gas. In the years 2010, 2011, a large amount of liquefied natural gas can be supplied from Russia to the United States.

Our investment corporation is becoming generally bilateral. The first steps, but confident steps, are being made by Russian companies that are starting to invest capital into the American economy.

We have also discussed the status and prospects of Russia's cooperation in science, high-tech and, in particular, in the exploration of outer space.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In conclusion, I would like to say that I highly appreciate the outcome of this summit. Later this year, we're going to meet a few more times within the framework of various international fora.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the president of the United States, who has accepted the invitation to participate in the festivities on the occasion of the anniversary of the great victory on May 9th in Moscow. This is a natural manifestation of respect of historic memory and the memory of the alliance that bonded our two countries in the years of the Second World War.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. President, four years ago, when you first met with President Putin, at a time some in the world were questioning his commitment to democracy, you reassured a lot of those (OFF-MIKE) into his soul and saw a man that you found trustworthy.

You've just listed some concerns here today. I'm wondering if you could unequivocally and without reservation repeat that statement today.

And, Mr. Putin, I'd like to ask you to address critics in the United States and elsewhere who saw Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Yeltsin as taking early steps on the path to democracy and worry that you have reversed course.

BUSH: One thing gave me comfort in making the statement I made in Slovenia was that Vladimir said, "When I agree with you, I'll tell you; and when I disagree with you, I'll tell you." In other words, we'll have a very frank and candid and open relationship.

And that's the way it's been.

BUSH: There was no doubt in my mind what his position was on Iraq. He didn't, kind of, hedge, he didn't try to, you know, cloud up the issue. He made it abundantly clear to me that he didn't agree with my decision.

And that's an important part of having a trustworthy relationship, a relationship where when a person tells you something, you know he means what he says, and yes means yes and no means no.

Sometimes in politics yes means maybe. And no means if. This is the kind of fellow who when he says yes, he means yes, and when he says no, he means no.

And we had a discussion about some decisions he's made. He's had some interest in decisions I've made. That's a very important dialogue.

As I said, I'll say it again, I think it's very important that all nations understand the great values inherent in democracy: rule of law and the protection of minorities, viable political debate. And when I brought that -- I don't want to put -- Vladimir can speak for himself on that issue. But all you can tell you is he said yes meant yes when we talked about values that we share.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, I'd like to say that we discussed these issues at length, face-to-face, just the two of us.

Russia has made its choice in favor of democracy. Fourteen years ago, independently, without any pressure from outside, it made that decision in the interest of itself, in the interest of its people, of its citizens.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is our final choice and we have no way back. There can be no return to what we used to have before. And the guarantee for this is the choice of the Russian people themselves.

No guarantees from outside cannot be provided. This is impossible. It would be impossible for Russia today. Any kind of turn toward totalitarianism for Russia would be impossible due to the condition of the Russian society.

As far as the questions that are being discussed among our partners in the media, I can only repeat what has been said by the president of the United States.

First, we are not going to make up, to invent any kind of special Russian democracy. We're going to remain committed to the fundamental principles of democracy that have been established in the world.

But, of course, all the modern institutions of democracy, the principles of democracy, should be adequate to the current status of the development of Russia, to our history and our traditions.

There nothing unusual here either. In every country, these overall principles are embodied that way, in electoral law. We can compare the United States and a number of European countries in the operation of major democratic institutions. There may be some differences, but the main fundamental principles are going to be implemented in the form in which they're developed by the modern, civilized society.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As far as the preceding period in our development, no doubt the credit that can be given to that period in the development of the Russian Federation for the fact that the previous generation of politicians -- despite all the difficulties that have arisen due to changes in Russia, they have given the main thing to the Russian people: That is freedom.

But I believe that -- and a lot of people will agree with me -- the implementation of the principles and norms of democracy should not be accompanied by the collapse of the state and impoverishment of the people.

We believe -- and I, personally, believe that the implementation in the strict new democracy on the Russian soil should not jeopardize the concept of democracy. It should strengthen statehood and it should improve living standards for the people.

It is in this direction that we're going to act.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, I wanted to ask another question, but we have an interesting conversation now, therefore I'm going to ask about the following.

It seems to me that you have nothing to disagree about. The regimes in place in Russia and the U.S. cannot be considered fully democratic, especially when compared to some other countries of Europe, for example; for example, the Netherlands.

It seems to me that, as far as Russia is concerned, everything is clear more or less. But as far as the U.S. is concerned, we could probably talk at length.

I'm referring to the great powers that have been assumed by the security services due to which the private lives of citizens are now being monitored by the state.

QUESTION (TROUGH TRANSLATOR): This could be explained away by the consequences of September 11th, but this has nothing to do with democratic values.

How could you comment on this?

I suggest that you can probably agree, that you can probably shake hands and continue to be friends in future.

BUSH: I live in a transparent country. I live in a country where decisions made by government are wide open and people are able to call people to me to account, which many out here do on a regular basis.

Our laws and the reasons why we have laws on the books are perfectly explained to people. Every decision we have made is within the Constitution of the United States. We have a constitution that we uphold.

And if there's a question as to whether or not a law meets that constitution, we have an independent court system through which that law is reviewed.

So I'm perfectly comfortable in telling you, our country is one that safeguards human rights and human dignity, and we resolve our disputes in a peaceful way.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'd like to support my American counterpart. I'm absolutely confident that democracy is not anarchy. It is not a possibility to do anything you want. It is not the possibility for anyone to rob your own people.

Democracy is, among other things, and first and foremost, the possibility to democratically make democratic laws and the capability of the state to enforce those laws.

You have cited a curious example, the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a monarchy, after all. I have no doubts about the democratic nature of that country.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is certainly a democratic nation, but this is very different from the United States and Russia. There are great differences between Russia and the U.S. as well.

If we talk about whether we have more or whether we have less democracy is not the right thing to do. But if we talk about how the fundamental principles of democracy are implemented in this or that historic soil, in this or that country, is an option -- it's possible. This does not compromise the dignity of the Netherlands or Russia or the U.S.

QUESTION: President Bush, were you satisfied with (OFF-MIKE) that President Putin gave you today on some of the decisions he has made on his democratic institutions, or have you just agreed to disagree?

And, President Putin, did anything President Bush said to you today prompt you to reconsider some of those decisions?

BUSH: I think the most important statement that you heard and I heard was the president's statement when he declared his absolute support for democracy in Russia and they're not turning back. To me that is the most important statement of my private meeting and it's the most important statement of this public press conference.

I can tell you what it's like dealing with the man over the last four years: When he tells you something, he means it. He asked what some of my concerns were, and he explained answers.

I told him it was very important that capital see a rule of law, that there be stability, there not be a doubt about whether or not somebody invests or whether or not the laws change.

BUSH: And I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear, and he explained why he made decisions he made.

We had very frank discussions about a variety of issues, and the operative -- again, the operative statement, the summary statement that I think is important for people to hear in our country is precisely his opening statement to King's question, speaking about monarchies, anyway. Get it? Was...

(LAUGHTER)

It's late in the trip -- was his firm belief in democracy, and I appreciate that.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I have already mentioned that we have paid a lot of attention to these issues. I get the impression that sometimes the public in our partner countries do not have the full knowledge and consequently do not have the full understanding of what is taking place in the Russian Federation.

Naturally, within our country there are people who are in favor and there are those who are opposed to the decisions that are being made; for example, the decision on the new procedure for the election of regional leaders in the Russian Federation.

But those who are opposed are richer than those who are in favor. They have the opportunity to spread their opinion in the media and we often do not pay the attention to that.

I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that the leaders of the regions of the Russian Federation will not be appointed by the president. The candidates will be presented -- will be submitted to regional parliaments that are elected through secret ballot by all the citizens.

This is, in essence, a system of the electoral college which is used on the national level in the United States. And it's not considered undemocratic, is it?

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We discussed these issues at length, and some of the ideas -- I wouldn't say advice, but some of the ideas that I heard from my partner who I respect a lot. And I believe that some of his ideas could be taken into account in my work. And I will pay due attention to them, that's for sure.

Some other ideas I will not comment on.

Thank you.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about?

Your aides probably mentioned to you that our media, both electronic and our printed media, have full coverage on the manifestations and protests in our country. Our regional and national media often criticize the government institution. What about -- why don't you talk a lot about violation of rights of journalists in the United States, about the fact that some journalists have been fired or do you prefer to discuss this in private with your American colleague?

BUSH: I don't know what journalists you're referring to.

Do any of you all still have your jobs?

Look, I think it's important any viable democracy has got a free and active press.

Obviously, if you're a member of the Russian press, you feel like the press is free.

Feel that way?

That's good.

But I've talked to Vladimir about that. And he wanted to know about our press. It's a nice bunch of folks. And he wanted to know about, as you mentioned, the subject of somebody getting fired. People do get fired in American press. They don't get fired by government, however. They get fired by their editors or they get fired by their producers or they get fired by the owners of a particular outlet or network.

But a free press is important.

BUSH: And it is an important part of any democracy.

If you're a member of the press corps and you feel comfortable with the press in Russia, I think that's a pretty interesting observation for those of us who don't live in Russia to listen to.

But no question, whether it be in America or anywhere else, the sign of a healthy and vibrant society is one where there's an active press corps.

Obviously there's got to be constraints. I mean, there's got to be truth. People've got to tell the truth. And if somebody violates the truth -- and those who own a particular newspaper or those who are in charge of a particular electronic station need to hold people to account. The press, the capacity of the press to hold people to account also depends on their willingness to self-examine at times when they're wrong.

And that happens on occasion in America. And that's an important part of maintaining a proper relationship between government and press.

I can assure you that the folks here are constantly trying to hold me to account for decisions I make and how I make decisions. I'm comfortable with that. It's part of the checks and balances of a democracy. And so I'm glad to hear your editorial comments, so to speak, on your comfort with the situation of the press corps in the Federation of Russia.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): First of all, what do you mean when you say I keep silent or we keep silent about this or that problem?

First of all, I'm not the minister of propaganda.

Second, we discuss all issues in absolute openness.

PUTIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As George said, today we discussed this issue as well with regard to Russia and the United States.

But what is absolutely obvious is that in the United States there are a lot of mechanisms to uphold the freedom of the press. And as far as the fact that there is some kind of friction between the media and the government, there is an ongoing debate, an ongoing critical debate going on, there is a lot of criticism coming from the media with respect to the government. This is a manifestation of democracy.

What you mentioned about the comments in the media of the actions of the Russian government is testimony to the fact that we do have a freedom of the press, although we're being criticized often that this is not the case.

When we discuss these issues, absolutely frankly, we -- and I, in particular -- do not think that this has to be pushed to the foreground; that new problems should be created from nothing. And I do not think that we should jeopardize the Russian-American relationship, because we're interested in the development of this relationship.

We are paying close attention to all the comments of the press or opposing forces, but our responsibility is to, in spite of all these problems, of which there are plenty, positively develop the Russian- American relationship.

I'd like to thank the president of the United States for this constructive dialogue that we've had today.

Thank you very much.

BUSH: Good job. See you in May -- early May.

(APPLAUSE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We've been watching a news conference in Slovakia with President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. I'm sitting in for Wolf Blitzer today. And we want to thank you for joining us, this live coverage of President Bush's stop in Slovakia to meet with the Russian leader.

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