United States President George W. Bush (L) and his wife Laura wave upon their arrival at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 14, 2006. Bush is here to attend the G8 summit, to be opened on July 15. (Xinhua Photo)

    SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia, July 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in Saint Petersburg on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a summit of G8 leaders.

    Bush flew to St Petersburg after a stop in Germany, a day before a meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations.     

    Putin is scheduled to hold an informal meeting with Bush here late on Friday ahead of the G8 summit that begins on Saturday.

    According to the Kremlin, the two leaders will discuss a wide range of issues - from Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, the turmoil in the Middle East to the Iranian and Korean Peninsula nuclear issues. Enditem

Putin to meet Bush in shadow of Mideast crisis

    ST. PETERSBURG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is to hold an informal meeting with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush here late on Friday ahead of a G8 summit that begins on Saturday.

    According to the Kremlin, the two leaders will discuss a wide range of issues - from Russia's accession to the WTO, the turmoil in the Middle East to the Iranian and Korean Peninsula nuclear issues.

    "We expect a serious signal on a further development of Russian-U.S. partnership both in the bilateral sphere and in the interests of strengthening strategic stability in general and the settlement of major regional conflicts," Putin's foreign affairs aide, Sergey Prikhodko, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency assaying.