Putin discusses future with the king of Spain

Vladimir Putin met Spain's King Juan Carlos I at the Russian president's vacation residence in a Black Sea resort city. The Spanish King expressed condolences over the crash of a Russian airliner this week and the two leaders discussed bilateral and international issues.

Juan Carlos, in televised comments during the meeting in Sochi, invitation, expressed "sympathy and condolences" on behalf of Spain and its government and people over Tuesday's crash in Ukraine of a Pulkovo Airlines Tu-154 that killed all 170 people on board, AP reports.

According to the Interfax news agency, Putin thanked Juan Carlos for accepting his invitation to visit Russia and said that he and colleagues "recognize that despite the change of government in Spain, relations between our countries remain at a very high level. I am convinced that this largely stems from your attitude to Russia."

Putin also spoke of the plane crash, saying that "the most terrible thing is the loss of people and the feeling of helplessness because nothing can be done. In these situations, remembering the dead, we must think about how we can help those close to them."

Putin and Juan Carlos also discussed relations between Russia and Spain and international affairs, the Kremlin said.

Putin met with Juan Carlos during a visit to Spain in February, and the Spanish king met with Putin at the Kremlin in June 2005.