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15 March 2004
BERLIN – German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next month, sources said Monday.
Schroeder, who sent a letter congratulating Putin for his weekend re-election victory, is due to have talks with the Russian leader on 2 April in Moscow, the sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
This will make Schroeder one of the first foreign leaders to meet Putin after the election.
Chancellor Schroeder has built a close political friendship with President Putin and the two men meet regularly. The Russian leader served as a KGB officer in former East Germany from 1985 to 1990 and speaks fluent German.
Schroeder agreed earlier this year with the leaders of European Union heavyweights France and Britain to push for a more active EU policy toward Russia after the elections.
DPA
Subject: German News