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Sarkozy praises 'frank' talks with Putin, 'closer' views on Iran
Moscow (AFP) Oct 10, 2007 French President Nicolas Sarkozy's first meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late Tuesday was "relaxed," "detailed" and "frank," and could lead to a "convergence" of views on the Iranian nuclear issue. "During these three hours we had a very long, relaxed, detailed, frank and passionate discussion," Sarkozy told French reporters after a dinner with Putin in the presidential residence of Novo Ogaryovo in the Moscow suburbs. "Our positions moved much closer... I really felt a convergence," the French leader said in response to reporters' questions, but declined to elaborate. "I do not feel at liberty to unveil everything," he said. Unlike France, Russia has been reluctant to back calls from Europe and the United States for new sanctions to force Tehran to halt sensitive nuclear activities. On the issue of the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, which is also a bone of contention between Paris and Moscow, the French leader said he "found in Putin a desire not to close the door on a solution which could allow avoiding humiliation." "We saw a path which could eventually allow us to bring our views closer," Sarkozy said, again declining to elaborate. Serbia and Russia are fiercely opposed to the independence of Kosovo, which France supports, with Moscow threatening to use its veto right in the UN Security Council. The two leaders also discussed Russia's human rights record, particularly last year's murder of reporter Anna Politkovskaya, restrictions on homosexuals and the war in Chechnya. "We discussed things in a sufficiently detailed, sufficiently peaceful manner," Sarkozy said. "He would have me note that Russia has its own specifics, that Russian society was still changing and that this evolution should be encouraged. I think that Russian society is well evolved already but it is a pity that this could be compromised by certain moves and attitudes," Sarkozy said. On the more general terms, Sarkozy called Putin a "direct, courageous, determined man, capable of accepting and understanding when addressed in the same way." Sarkozy, who had arrived in Moscow late Tuesday for his first official visit to Russia, is due to meet Putin again Wednesday for more formal talks in the Kremlin. Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Hu prepares to chart next five years for China
Beijing (AFP) Oct 8, 2007Communist China's founding father Mao Zedong was often referred to as the Great Helmsman. |
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