Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected US suspicions that deadly smallpox or anthrax may have escaped his country and that Russia has provided dangerous weapons technology to Iran. Putin also praised President George W Bush, with whom he will meet next week, as someone with whom he can do business and a leader who keeps his word.

In an interview in the Kremlin for the US ABC television network, Putin struck a conciliatory stand on almost all fronts. He indicated, for instance, that he might be ready to strike a deal to clear the way for a US anti-missile shield programme.
We could reach quite quickly mutual agreements, Putin said in an interview conducted on Monday and set to air in the United States. He added that the Russian position on a missile shield is quite flexible.
But he also cautioned that a settlement can only be found as a result of very intense negotiations. Bureau Report