Bush, Putin conclude three days of summit talks

Associated Press WriterCRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended three days of summitry Thursday with warm praise for each other, but with no sign of a deal sought by the United States to pave the way for a national missile defense system.

Speaking in the gymnasium of Crawford's high school, the two leaders said they had talked about the war on terrorism, working together to end the spread of nuclear weapons, and on economic issues.

Bush cited "a new relationship ... that will make our lives better."

They also took questions from students.

"Russia has been a strong partner in the fight against terrorism," Bush said, noting that the first phone call he had received from a foreign leader after the Sept. 11 attacks was from Putin.

He said that in three days of summitry, he and Putin had pledged to reduce nuclear weapons, discussed cooperation in the war on terrorism and in stopping the spread of weapons, and "ways our economies can grow together."

Bush cited "a new relationship ... that will make our lives better."

Putin called Bush, "A person who does what he says."

Bush also expressed pleasure with the freeing of eight aid workers who had been held in Afghanistan -- two Americans, two Australians and four Germans.

He noted that release of the workers had been one of the conditions he had set on Afghanistan's Taliban regime. The others were to destroy terrorist camps and bring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terror network to justice.

"One of those conditions has been met with the release and rescue of the humanitarian aid workers. And the other two will be met, particularly bringing al-Qaida to justice," Bush told his audience.

Bush, calling Putin at one point by his first name, Vladimir, said that the more he got to know the Russian leader, "the more I get to see his heart and soul, the more I know we can work together in a positive way."

He joked that he had invited Putin to come back in August, the season of dusty and searing heat here. Bush recounted Putin's wiseacre reply: "Fine, and maybe you'd like to go to Siberia in the winter."

Bush called Russia a partner and a friend, telling the Crawford students:

"When I was in high school, Russia was an enemy. Now the high school students can know Russia is a friend, that we're working together to break the old ties, to establish a new spirit of cooperation and trust so that we can work together to make the world more peaceful."

During the question-and-answer session with the students, Bush was asked about the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan now that the militant Taliban regime is on the run.

Bush said he and Putin discussed at some length the need to establish an ethnically broad-based post-Taliban government in the country.

"The Taliban is the most repressive, backward group of people we have seen on the face of the earth in a long time," particularly in their treatment of women, Bush said.

Asked by a young woman if women's rights in Afghanistan would improve with the fall of the Taliban, Bush noted that both he and Putin have teen-age daughters and share a "keen desire to free the women of Afghanistan."

Putin, in turn, agreed: "Basically women in Afghanistan are not treated as people." He called for special programs -- primarily proper schooling -- to benefit Afghan women.

"What we should avoid in the course of the implementation of such programs and as an end result of their implementation is that a lady would turn into a man."

Thursday's session at Crawford High came after the two leaders and their wives had a private breakfast. On Wednesday night, Bush treated them to a festive Texas-style barbecue on his 1,600-acre spread.

Bush toasted Putin, saying, "Usually you only invite a good friend to your home and that is clearly the case here. I knew that President Putin was a man with whom I could work to transform the relationship between our two countries."

Putin returned the compliment when he raised his own glass and noted that this was the first time he had been invited into a foreign leader's home.

"It is hugely symbolic to me and my country that it's the home of the president of the United States," Putin said.

The party was small for such a summit between nations, just 29 people total, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, pianist Van Cliburn and pro-golfer Ben Crenshaw.

Bush and Putin are under pressure to reach accord on missile defense. The Pentagon is eager to conduct tests, even though they would violate the current interpretation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and Bush has told Putin he will seek to scrap the pact early next year if they can't reach agreement.

On the other hand, aides said Bush is considering visiting Russia in the first few months of 2002 -- a sign, perhaps, that the president may be willing to wait that long to strike a deal.

"This is one stop along the road. We'll make other stops after Crawford, but each stop is built on the positive results of the earlier meetings," said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

The unusual ranch visit took place one day after Bush and Putin agreed at the White House to shrink their nations' strategic nuclear arsenals by two-thirds.

Bush had hoped that the cuts, promised during the presidential campaign, would entice Putin to accept the U.S. proposal on missile defense. Under Bush's plan, the United States would remain in the 1972 ABM treaty a while longer if Russia agreed to allow the Pentagon to conduct tests and research barred by current readings of the pact.

That proposal was a concession of sorts for Bush. He repeatedly has denounced the accord as a Cold War relic, and his conservative allies want him to scrap it.

Putin's public statements before coming to America suggested an openness to finding flexibility on the ABM issue.

Bush promised Putin on Tuesday that Russia would be informed of the tests, but Putin asked for more. U.S. officials said he suggested at one time that Russia approve the tests beforehand, a concession Bush refused to make.