US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin began their first face-to-face meeting yesterday, saying they had formed a good impression of one another.
Standing side by side on a terrace of the Brdo Castle outside Ljubljana, Putin said he had a "good first impression" of Bush, the former Texas governor who took office five months ago. Bush chuckled and told reporters: "I rest my case."
The former Texas oilman and the one-time KGB spy were expected to discuss a series of thorny issues including US missile defense plans, weapons proliferation, NATO enlargement and hot spots like the Middle East and the Balkans.
But both chose to accent the positive as they began two hours of talks with handshakes in front of the cameras before entering the 16th century castle.
"We're going to have a very good meeting," Bush said. "I have been looking forward to this meeting a long time. I think we'll find we have a lot in common."
Putin, apparently alluding to Bush's comments in Poland on Friday that the US was not Russia's enemy, said: "I know about the president's most recent statements in Warsaw and that's a very good foundation on which to proceed."
Aides played down the chances of any formal agreements, saying the session was more a chance for the two to size each other up than to spar over detailed policies.
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