2006年VOA标准英语-Bush, Putin Meet to Discuss Iran, North Korea

By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
15 November 2006

U.S. President Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met briefly¹ in Moscow to discuss nuclear disputes with Iran and North Korea and the Middle East before a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders. The two presidents also said they are ready for Russia to join the World Trade Organization.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (c) kisses US First Lady Laura Bush as US President George W. Bush (back- 2nd-r) greets President Putin's wife Lyudmila Putin (r) upon arrival at Vnukovo Airport, Nov. 15, 2006

In an unusual move not required by protocol², President Putin and his wife met their U.S. counterparts while Air Force One stopped briefly in Moscow for refueling en route to Asia.

The meeting at Vnukovo airport was billed as an informal chat between friends over a lunch of Russian herring and caviar. In a Kremlin statement following the nearly two-hour meeting, the leaders were said to be in agreement on one of the most highly charged issues between Washington and Moscow in recent months - Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization.

Kremlin officials say the two leaders confirmed their readiness to sign the deal on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Hanoi beginning this Saturday.

A written Kremlin statement says the two presidents also discussed Iran's controversial nuclear program, the situation in the Middle East, and nuclear non-proliferation. Russian officials described the talks as cordial, but gave no further details.

U.S. officials are stymied³ by Russia's hard-line stance against international efforts to impose sanctions on Tehran in a bid to get it to halt its controversial nuclear program. As one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Russia's backing on Iran is key.

Russia's ongoing⁴ diplomatic dispute with the former Soviet⁵ Republic of Georgia, and perceptions that Moscow is using its oil wealth as a political weapon have also clouded bilateral⁶ relations between Washington and Moscow.

1 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 stymied   

n.被侵袭的v.妨碍，阻挠( stymie的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen. 最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。 来自辞典例句
• I was completely stymied by her refusal to help. 由于她拒不相助， 我完全陷入了困境。 来自互联网

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。