No rollback from democratic achievements in Russia

Moscow, June 6: Russian President Vladimir Putin with leave today for the annual summit of G-8 leaders, in the resort of Heiligendamm, in Germany, even as a high-ranking Kremlin official denied here that Russia was rolling back on democratic reforms.

''We have always highly valued US President George Bush's openness in expressing his thoughts, but we cannot agree with his remark made in Prague yesterday, in which he alleged that Russia is stepping back from its democratic achievements,'' the anonymous official told Interfax news agency today.

''There is no rollback. Russia is a democratic state which shares global and European values,'' he said, referring to Bush's statement in Prague to the effect that democratic values in Russia and China were endangered.

The three-day summit of the industrialized nations, is overshadowed by a growing row between Moscow and Washington over the US plans to deploy national missile defence in Europe.

The summit hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is scheduled to discuss climatic change, development aid to Africa, Iran's nuclear programme and aid to Darfur.

Besides the G-8 leaders, leaders from India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico have also been invited to the summit.

The Kremlin said it expected the 33rd summit to yield interesting discussions, as there will be one new and two outgoing leaders participating, with Putin stepping down as President next year, when his term comes to an end.

''Putin would be feeling more confident than certain other G-8 leaders,'' Igor Shuvalov, Russia's ''sherpa'' at the summit and Putin's personal representative, told RIA Novosti news agency.

Shuvalov said the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who steps down on June 27, will have an opportunity to be more open.

''He will be responsible for his nation in the longer term, and will not be concerned about disciplinary penalties from his own party or his Cabinet,'' he said.

France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy, is expected to make ''interesting'' statements, as documents for the summit have been drafted without his participation, he pointed out.

At the summit, Putin will hold bilateral meetings with Bush, Blair, Sarkozy, Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese leader Hu Jintao.

UNI