Transcript of Putin's Press Conference

[Moderator] Esteemed colleagues, allow me to put the final question to one of the state's mass media, ITAR-TASS.
 

ABM and relations with President Bush

[Question] Thank you for allowing me to ask a question and thank you for the extra time. I would like to touch in more detail on a question which we have mentioned just in passing - the Russian - US dialogue on ABM and on political stability. The dialogue is proceeding with difficulty. In what form, from what positions is Russia prepared to conduct it? And, a small additional question, to what extent could your personal relations with President Bush depend on the success or failure of these consultations? Thank you.

[Putin] You know I have already spoken about this, too. It seems to me that personal relations between leaders of such countries as the United States and Russia are very important, if only because we have amassed the greatest quantity of nuclear arms. It is not a matter of indifference to me who we are having to deal with. It is very important to have a sense of a person. You know, even during a telephone conversation you hear the intonation of his voice. And this already has a certain significance.

Therefore I assess as very positive the fact that normal personal relations are developing between the president and myself. As for our approaches to the ABM problem, you know this very well and I will repeat myself here, though I would not wish to do that, but it goes without saying that the interests of Russia's national security will be the main criterion, of this you may have no doubts, not even for a second, for it is this that we shall proceed from above all else.

However, we will, naturally, arrive at such decisions and proposals, as will not violate international stability or undermine the system of international obligations in the area of strategic arms limitation which has emerged in the space of over 20 years. So, this is how we shall proceed in this direction.

Let's do this: who thinks he has got the most important question of all.Let's choose a lady of some kind.

[Moderator] Please.