Putin to meet Bush at Moscow airport

George Bush was expected to hold a highly unusual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today when the US president’s plane makes a refuelling stop at a Moscow airport on the way to Asia.

The brief meeting at Vnukovo Airport comes with the United States and Russia on the verge of signing an agreement on Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation but at odds over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Bush left last night for an eight-day tour of Asia, where he and Putin are to meet again on the sidelines of a summit of Asian-Pacific nation leaders in Vietnam.

Russia and the United States reached agreement on Friday on easing Russia’s long-awaited entry into the WTO and said they hoped to sign a formal deal at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit after finalising the remaining details.

The two presidents are also likely to discuss Iran, whose top nuclear negotiator met Putin in Moscow on Saturday amid disagreement between Washington and Moscow over how to respond to Tehran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment.