sedan
07-15-2006, 07:22 PM
Putin Tells Bush Russia Doesn't Need a Democracy Like Iraq's
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush held up Iraq today as a model of democracy for Russia to follow. Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to say he wasn't interested.
Bush made clear before arriving in St. Petersburg for talks with Putin he would raise concerns Russia was rolling back some of the democratic advances made in the 1990s, a charge Putin firmly denies. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have all spoken out on the issue over the last year.
``I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there's a free press and free religion,'' Bush told a news conference with Putin after their talks. ``I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.''
``We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly,'' Putin shot back.
``Just wait,'' retorted Bush.
Bush said he understood Russian democracy would develop in its own way.
``I don't expect Russia to look like the U.S.,'' Bush said, adding that Putin had shared with him some thoughts on the subject ``that I think would surprise some of our citizens''.
Putin said Russia needs to develop democratic institutions to prosper, ``but certainly, we will do this by ourselves.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a8LVtxNJABqA&refer=worldwide_news
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush held up Iraq today as a model of democracy for Russia to follow. Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to say he wasn't interested.
Bush made clear before arriving in St. Petersburg for talks with Putin he would raise concerns Russia was rolling back some of the democratic advances made in the 1990s, a charge Putin firmly denies. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have all spoken out on the issue over the last year.
``I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there's a free press and free religion,'' Bush told a news conference with Putin after their talks. ``I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.''
``We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly,'' Putin shot back.
``Just wait,'' retorted Bush.
Bush said he understood Russian democracy would develop in its own way.
``I don't expect Russia to look like the U.S.,'' Bush said, adding that Putin had shared with him some thoughts on the subject ``that I think would surprise some of our citizens''.
Putin said Russia needs to develop democratic institutions to prosper, ``but certainly, we will do this by ourselves.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a8LVtxNJABqA&refer=worldwide_news