Russian Foreign Ministry Does Not Rule Out That Meeting Of Vladimir Putin And George Bush May Be Held Before The Genoa Summit

The meeting between Vladimir Putin and George Bush may take place before the Genoa summit, Igor Ivanov, Russia's Foreign Minister, stated Wednesday at the press conference in the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department, the issue of meeting between the presidents of Russia and the USA has been coordinated in principle in the course of the Genoa summit, the minister said. Igor Ivanov stressed that the yesterday's statement by George Bush is of a political character. He noted that any conclusions on the statement can be made only after additional consultations on "technical aspects, settlement of these or other problems." According to the Russian minister, this will be primarily consultations in Moscow with experts from Washington, who are due to come soon, according to the U.S. President. The consultations will continue in the course of Igor Ivanov's visit to Washington May 18. Then, according to Mr Ivanov, a detailed discussion, from a strategical point of view, is expected to be held in the course of the first meeting between the two presidents.