Moscow Today to Discuss Postwar Situation in Iraq

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Moscow today. As RTR television company reports, the main topic of discussion will be the postwar situation in Iraq.

The two leaders will also discuss multilateral relations within the EU Security Council. A spokesman for the Kremlin told journalists that 'the UK position differs from that of Russia but not as much as the US position.' The spokesman added that the talks were proposed by the UK but for no urgent reason. The two leaders agreed to the proposals when they last spoke on the phone.

The two leaders will also discuss issues concerning Russia-EU relations and the G-8 as well as the Russian president's upcoming visit to London in June.

Yesterday Mr Blair announced at a press conference that he intended to cover a number of international problems in his talks with the Russian president as well as Russia-UK bilateral relations. 'We want to discuss the role of the UN in Iraq and how we intend to progress over the coming months,' said the British PM. 'We will try to ensure that the UN plays an appropriate role but we must also consider the role of the coalition forces. All of these questions can be resolved and I will discuss them with President Putin,' he said.