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Bush and Putin to meet next week Bush and Putin to meet next week
(about 1 hour later)
US President George W Bush has accepted an invitation to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, next week in the Russian resort of Sochi. US President George W Bush has accepted an invitation to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, next week in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Mr Bush said they would discuss American plans to site a missile defence system in Eastern Europe.Mr Bush said they would discuss American plans to site a missile defence system in Eastern Europe.
The meeting will take place after next week's Nato summit in the Romanian capital Bucharest. They will meet after next week's Nato summit in Bucharest, Romania.
Russia has strongly criticised the US proposal, which would see installations in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia has strongly criticised the US proposals, which would see interceptor missiles based in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic.
'Optimistic'
"President Putin has invited me to go to Sochi and it's to discuss the strategic agreement, a crucial part of which is missile defence," Mr Bush told journalists in Washington."President Putin has invited me to go to Sochi and it's to discuss the strategic agreement, a crucial part of which is missile defence," Mr Bush told journalists in Washington.
He said he was optimistic they would reach an agreement. He said he was optimistic they would reach a deal and described the meeting, scheduled for 6 April, as a follow-up to recent high level discussions in Moscow.
It is likely to be the last meeting between the two presidents, since Mr Putin's successor, Dmitry Medvedev, will take office in May. class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/5106762.stm">How defence system works
Last week US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates held talks with senior officials in the Russian capital.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov afterwards told the Izvestiya newspaper that the US had agreed to allow Moscow to monitor the missile defence system.
The US says the system is needed to counter a potential threat from Iran, but Moscow fears it could be used against Russia.
Next week's meeting is likely to be the last between the two presidents, since Mr Putin's successor, Dmitry Medvedev, will take office in May.