Bush meets beleaguered NGOs before Putin talks

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 14: President George W Bush, arriving in Russia for a weekend big-power summit, today met local pressure groups who say Kremlin backsliding on democracy has meant a clampdown on their activities.

Bush flew from Germany to St Petersburg for the annual summit of the Group of Eight rich nations, which will focus on world energy supplies and other global problems. He will also hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

But even before meeting the Kremlin leader, Bush underscored Western concerns over Putin's record on democracy by going straight into round-table discussions with 15 activists from non-governmental organisations.

Several of the groups have been under pressure from Russian authorities as part of what human rights activists see as an erosion of civil liberties in Russia under Putin and proof that it is not fit to be a G8 member.

Bush later emerged to say he had spent a lot of time ''listening to their concerns'' and had assured them that ''we believe in universal values embedded in democracy, we believe in the rule of law, we believe in human rights''.

But he said it was in US interests to remain engaged with Russia.

''The foreign policy of my administration is that we will work with Russia to solve common problems and at the same time be in a position where you can have private exchange of ideas,'' he said.

Though not a formal agenda item, Russia's democracy record could still overshadow the summit due to open on Saturday in the lavish Constantine Palace, 35 km outside the old imperial capital on the Gulf of Finland.

Russian officials were quick to suggest that everything was on course for a successful summit.

''From our perspective it's been quite successful. We've been able basically to finalise summit 'deliverables','' said Andrei Kondakov, Russia's pointman on foreign policy at the summit.

The summit, which will also group the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, will issue a final document on the outlook for the world economy encompassing primarily energy and trade issues.

PUTIN'S BIRTHPLACE

Playing host in his birthplace of St Petersburg to the G8 for the first time, Putin wants to showcase Russia's clout as an energy superpower through discussions on energy security. Bush is trying to enlist Russia's support for a tougher stance toward the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea.

The G8 also must weigh its response to the Middle East crisis that has erupted after the capture by Hizbollah fighters of two Israeli soldiers and reprisal attacks by Israel on parts of Lebanon.

Bush flew in as reports grew that he and Putin could sign an agreement paving the way for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation. The two countries were also expected to announce the start of talks toward a deal on civil nuclear energy cooperation.

Talks on Russia's WTO bid resumed on Friday morning in Moscow but broke off for the negotiators -- US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Russian Economy Minister German Gref -- to fly to St Petersburg where they were due to continue.

''It's very important for Russia, provided the price of the entry ticket is right. It's all about price, it's all about commitments, it's all about the long-term implications for the Russian economy,'' Kondakov said.

Bush and Putin forged a bond in 2001 over the fight against terrorism, but since then US criticism of Putin's record on democracy has become a major source of tension.

A sharp attack by US Vice President Dick Cheney in May in which he accused Moscow of backsliding and using its energy resources as a tool of blackmail appeared then to doom prospects for a smooth summit.

SHARED ISSUES

The two sides have, however, common concerns over Iran and North Korea and neither Bush nor Putin appeared likely to let the summit fail.

Russia says it will not stop anyone staging legitimate protests during the summit. It has set aside a sports stadium for protesters to stage an alternative G8 forum. But forum organisers said Russian police had detained activists en route at train stations and airports.

Two reporters for a German university radio station were sentenced to 10 days in jail after they covered protests against the summit, the station said on Friday.

A ban on overflights by civilian aircraft was due to come into force from midnight on Friday as part of a heavy security operation around the summit.

Reuters