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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Meets With Putin

Aired June 01, 2003 - 07:33   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to check in right now with -- President Bush came from Russia where he was in St. Petersburg. And that is where we join right now Jill Dougherty, who is standing by -- Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson, he's left behind the summit. It was really like a mini summit that he had with President Putin, lasting just an hour, but they got through a lot of different issues. And you have to say that it sounded like a mutual admiration society.

President Bush calling Mr. Putin a strong leader who will have the support of the United States. And he said in reference to Iraq, friends can disagree. Friends can work through that. And friends can continue to work on issues in the future.

The two leaders did sign the Treaty of Moscow. That's a treaty limiting nuclear weapons that actually got hung up in the Russian Parliament during the conflict over Iraq. And at the news conference later, after their meeting, President Putin said that both people, that in spite of Iraq, they had been able to preserve not only their personal relationship, but the relationship between the two countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: (through translator) Fundamentals of the relations between the United States and Russia turned out to be stronger than the forces and events that tested it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: And President Bush said that Russia and the United States have embarked on what he called a new strategic relationship. He also said that they were two countries that were united in the fight against terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're working closely to confront the challenges of our time. Both of our countries have suffered greatly at the hands of terror. And our governments are taking action against this threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: And one of the sticking points in the relationship between Russia and the United States still remains Iran. Russia is helping Iran to build a nuclear reactor, a civilian nuclear reactor. The U.S. says that the information and the technology from that could be used by the Iranians to create nuclear weapons. Russia does not agree with that. And up to now, it's been really a pretty much a stand-off on that.

But there appears to be a little bit of movement on the part of the Russians toward the position of the Americans. In fact, Mr. Putin saying actually the positions are closer than they would appear. And then one final thing, Anderson. The -- a sign of the burgeoning relationship, continuing relationship really between Mr. Putin and Mr. Bush. Mr. Bush has invited Vladimir Putin to Camp David, his presidential retreat in September.

COOPER: All right, Jill Dougherty, thank you very much. Live from St. Petersburg. And you're looking at a live picture of world leaders gathering for the G-8 meeting in Evian, France. President Bush has arrived there just a short time ago. Jill Dougherty reporting from St. Petersburg. Thanks.

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 June 1, 2003 - 07:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to check in right now with -- President Bush came from Russia where he was in St. Petersburg. And that is where we join right now Jill Dougherty, who is standing by -- Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson, he's left behind the summit. It was really like a mini summit that he had with President Putin, lasting just an hour, but they got through a lot of different issues. And you have to say that it sounded like a mutual admiration society.

President Bush calling Mr. Putin a strong leader who will have the support of the United States. And he said in reference to Iraq, friends can disagree. Friends can work through that. And friends can continue to work on issues in the future.

The two leaders did sign the Treaty of Moscow. That's a treaty limiting nuclear weapons that actually got hung up in the Russian Parliament during the conflict over Iraq. And at the news conference later, after their meeting, President Putin said that both people, that in spite of Iraq, they had been able to preserve not only their personal relationship, but the relationship between the two countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: (through translator) Fundamentals of the relations between the United States and Russia turned out to be stronger than the forces and events that tested it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: And President Bush said that Russia and the United States have embarked on what he called a new strategic relationship. He also said that they were two countries that were united in the fight against terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're working closely to confront the challenges of our time. Both of our countries have suffered greatly at the hands of terror. And our governments are taking action against this threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: And one of the sticking points in the relationship between Russia and the United States still remains Iran. Russia is helping Iran to build a nuclear reactor, a civilian nuclear reactor. The U.S. says that the information and the technology from that could be used by the Iranians to create nuclear weapons. Russia does not agree with that. And up to now, it's been really a pretty much a stand-off on that.

But there appears to be a little bit of movement on the part of the Russians toward the position of the Americans. In fact, Mr. Putin saying actually the positions are closer than they would appear. And then one final thing, Anderson. The -- a sign of the burgeoning relationship, continuing relationship really between Mr. Putin and Mr. Bush. Mr. Bush has invited Vladimir Putin to Camp David, his presidential retreat in September.

COOPER: All right, Jill Dougherty, thank you very much. Live from St. Petersburg. And you're looking at a live picture of world leaders gathering for the G-8 meeting in Evian, France. President Bush has arrived there just a short time ago. Jill Dougherty reporting from St. Petersburg. Thanks.

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