Putin uses Asia-Pacific summit to look East

SYDNEY, Sep 7 (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a major nuclear energy deal with Australia today and said he would use an Asia-Pacific summit in Sydney at the weekend to forge stronger links with the booming region.

Putin said he wanted to use the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to re-establish a resurgent Russia as an integral part of Asia.

''Our task is to use APEC mechanisms to make Russia part of the regional integration,'' Putin said in an article published by Australian media today.

Putin sealed a deal today to buy Australian uranium to fuel Russia's civilian nuclear power plants. yesterday, in Jakarta, he signed a 1 billion dollar arms sale with Indonesia.

Putin, who wants Russia to host the 2012 APEC summit, said he wanted economic integration in Asia to help stop the decay of resource-rich but depressed areas east of the Urals.

The Kremlin has come out with an ambitious plan of diverting part of Russia's new wealth to upgrade infrastructure in Siberia and the Far East to attract investment.

''Closer ties with APEC naturally complements our own plans of economic development of Siberia and the Far East,'' Putin said in Sydney today.

Russia, increasingly assertive in its foreign policy after years of stable economic growth, is looking for a new role in the world and sees itself as a balancing force between the old trans-Atlantic world and new power centres such as China.

This search is accompanied by growing strains between the Kremlin and the West on a series of issues, including painful disagreements over U.S. missile defence plans in Europe.

But Putin and US President George W Bush, who met in Sydney on Friday probably for the last time before the Kremlin leader steps down at March 2008 elections, focused on personal memories at a joint news conference rather than serious issues.

Bush recollected fishing with Putin in his father's seaside estate in New England earlier this year.

''I thought for a minute he (Putin) brought up Kennebunkport to remind me he was the only one who caught a fish,'' Bush said.

''Perhaps we should meet to fish in Siberia one day,'' Putin replied.

NUCLEAR DEAL Russia, one of the world's leading arms traders with annual sales topping 5 billion dollar in bumper years, wants to break into new markets and to rebuild its influence in Asia where Washington, and now increasingly China, have held sway in recent years.

In Jakarta, Putin said Moscow wanted to expand cooperation in energy and mining, aviation, and communications.

In Sydney he oversaw the signing of a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement, which allows Russia to buy Australian uranium.

Australia accounts for 40 percent of the world's reserves of uranium.

Addressing Australian concerns, Putin ruled out the possibility that the uranium could be used for military purposes or would end up in Iran, suspected of working on its own nuclear weapons, or Syria, which the West accuses of supporting terrorism.

''We already have an excessive amount of uranium for military use,'' Putin told a news conference.

Putin said Russia would double the number of nuclear reactors to around 60 in the next 20 years and Australian uranium would be used as fuel for domestic power supplies.

The acting head of Tehsnabexport, Russia's state-run export company, said some of the Australian uranium could be processed and resold as fuel to nuclear power stations in Japan, Europe and the United states.

''We haven't struck any additional contracts yet,'' Alexei Grigoryev said. ''But potentially we could strike up to SYDNEY, Sep 7 (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a major nuclear energy deal with Australia today and said he would use an Asia-Pacific summit in Sydney at the weekend to forge stronger links with the booming region.

Putin said he wanted to use the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to re-establish a resurgent Russia as an integral part of Asia.

''Our task is to use APEC mechanisms to make Russia part of the regional integration,'' Putin said in an article published by Australian media today.

Putin sealed a deal today to buy Australian uranium to fuel Russia's civilian nuclear power plants. yesterday, in Jakarta, he signed a 1 billion dollar arms sale with Indonesia.

Putin, who wants Russia to host the 2012 APEC summit, said he wanted economic integration in Asia to help stop the decay of resource-rich but depressed areas east of the Urals.

The Kremlin has come out with an ambitious plan of diverting part of Russia's new wealth to upgrade infrastructure in Siberia and the Far East to attract investment.

''Closer ties with APEC naturally complements our own plans of economic development of Siberia and the Far East,'' Putin said in Sydney today.

Russia, increasingly assertive in its foreign policy after years of stable economic growth, is looking for a new role in the world and sees itself as a balancing force between the old trans-Atlantic world and new power centres such as China.

This search is accompanied by growing strains between the Kremlin and the West on a series of issues, including painful disagreements over U.S. missile defence plans in Europe.

But Putin and US President George W Bush, who met in Sydney on Friday probably for the last time before the Kremlin leader steps down at March 2008 elections, focused on personal memories at a joint news conference rather than serious issues.

Bush recollected fishing with Putin in his father's seaside estate in New England earlier this year.

''I thought for a minute he (Putin) brought up Kennebunkport to remind me he was the only one who caught a fish,'' Bush said.

''Perhaps we should meet to fish in Siberia one day,'' Putin replied.

NUCLEAR DEAL Russia, one of the world's leading arms traders with annual sales topping 5 billion dollar in bumper years, wants to break into new markets and to rebuild its influence in Asia where Washington, and now increasingly China, have held sway in recent years.

In Jakarta, Putin said Moscow wanted to expand cooperation in energy and mining, aviation, and communications.

In Sydney he oversaw the signing of a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement, which allows Russia to buy Australian uranium.

Australia accounts for 40 percent of the world's reserves of uranium.

Addressing Australian concerns, Putin ruled out the possibility that the uranium could be used for military purposes or would end up in Iran, suspected of working on its own nuclear weapons, or Syria, which the West accuses of supporting terrorism.

''We already have an excessive amount of uranium for military use,'' Putin told a news conference.

Putin said Russia would double the number of nuclear reactors to around 60 in the next 20 years and Australian uranium would be used as fuel for domestic power supplies.

The acting head of Tehsnabexport, Russia's state-run export company, said some of the Australian uranium could be processed and resold as fuel to nuclear power stations in Japan, Europe and the United states.

''We haven't struck any additional contracts yet,'' Alexei Grigoryev said. ''But potentially we could strike up to $2 billion worth of contracts in Japan in 2008-2015, $400 million in Europe and as much in the United States.'' REUTERS SLD PM1655 billion worth of contracts in Japan in 2008-2015, 0 million in Europe and as much in the United States.'' REUTERS SLD PM1655