A FINAL MEETING

by RAY FLEMING
Regardless of the calendar, there was an autumnal atmosphere at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sunday as Presidents Bush and Putin held the last of the 28 meetings they have had together in the eight years they have simultaneously steered the destiny of their countries. An evocative photograph taken from behind them showed the two men standing side by side as they watched the sun set over the Black Sea. The sun sets on Mr Putin's time as president next month but he will soon reappear as prime minister and probably remain the most important person in the Russian government for some years to come. For Mr Bush autumn is already here as his ability to shape policy diminishes by the week. Before he leaves the White House he will probably meet the new Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, but Moscow's interest will already be shifting to speculation on who will suceed Mr Bush. Did President Bush really look into Mr Putin's eyes and get “a sense of his soul” at their first meeting? More prosaically he said on Sunday “You've been a strong leader. You're not afraid to tell me what's on your mind. And when it's all said and done , we can shake hands.” It was a fair summary and perhaps nothing more could have been expected from the past eight years. But the next US/Soviet presidential pairing should aim higher.