§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meetings with the President of Russia, with special reference to their discussions on Chechnya and missile defence. [140701]
§ The Prime MinisterI had useful talks with President Putin in Moscow on 20 and 21 November. We covered a range of issues, including Chechnya and missile defence. On Chechnya, President Putin repeated his concerns over the threat to security from Chechen separatists, while on missile defence he repeated publicly that he was ready to continue contacts with the US.