Differences between the two countries have sent U.S.-Russian relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. The meeting at the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, could be the last opportunity for both Vladimir Putin and George Bush to reverse the decline before their presidential terms expire next year.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the Russia-U.S. informal talks Sunday a "lobster summit," where the two leaders were treated to Maine's most traditional cuisine.
"The conversation was truly friendly," Lavrov said. "U.S. and Russian developments and the evolution of democratic systems in the two countries were discussed in detail and with good humor."
Prikhodko said the presence of George Bush, Sr., and his wife, "people with plenty of experience and liberal opinions of life in general and a history of bilateral relations," had a positive impact on the talks.
"Bush Jr. and Bush Sr. were most interested in some aspects of the economic situation in Russia," Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide Sergei Prikhodko said. "They asked about [the country's] specific economic achievements and plans."
Prikhodko said he was surprised at the level of awareness on developments in Russia demonstrated by Bush Jr. and his father.
Lavrov said Putin and Bush will address Monday "the fight against terrorism, international crime, drug trafficking, conflicts in the Middle East, the North Korean nuclear program, and Iran's nuclear problem."
Both leaders are also expected to discuss such sensitive subjects like U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe, allegedly aimed against "rogue states" like Iran and North Korea, as well as Russia's alternative proposal concerning the shared use of a radar in Azerbaijan, Prikhodko said.
