Talks Between Vladimir Putin And Tony Blair Occupy Central Place In Reports Of Leading British Media

Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at his country residence Chequers are holding the central place in reports by leading British mass media, this correspondent reports. Observers in London have taken notice of the tone of assessments and accents in British media on a meeting between the Russian and British leaders - this tone is more positive than ever before. This is an indicator of latest substantial changes for the better in British public opinion towards Russia, the observers note. The newspaper Times describes as "inconceivable" a few years ago the establishment of a Russian-British working group for the struggle against terrorism, as was announced at a news conference of the two leaders. In the paper's view, an informal get-together of the two men has shown that relations between them have become "warmer than ever before". The Times mentions among the most important results of this meeting Putin's and Blair's understandings for Britain to assist Russia's earliest entry into the WTO and to create a new format for its relations with NATO. The Daily Telegraph particularly singles out Tony Blair's remarks at the news conference that the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11th and in Moscow two years ago are the result of terrorists' actions. Such a statement, in watchers' view, has in fact become the first official acknowledgement by the British leadership of the existence of Chechen terrorism, something officials in London have preferred not to take up. The Financial Times draws attention to Blair's words that the opinion of the British business establishment of Russia "has transformed" as a result of reforms in the Russian economy and now Britons "are very much interested in investment in Russia."