MOSCOW, July 6: Russian President Vladimir Putin sought on Thursday to play down poor relations with Washington, saying George Bush remained a ‘decent’ friend and the United States one of Russia’s most important partners.

In a high-profile televised appearance to help boost his international image before he hosts a Group of Eight summit, next week, Mr Putin also weighed in with his views on North Korea’s missile launches and the Iranian nuclear question.

He condemned Pyongyang’s action as disappointing and said he wanted a ‘quicker’ response from Iran to big power proposals.

Both issues will be hotly debated at the St Petersburg G8 summit, from July 15 to 17, that will also focus on energy security, throwing a spotlight on Russia’s role as an emerging energy superpower.

Mr Putin, replying on television to questions from round the world given via the Internet, said he had spoken to the American leader on Thursday and congratulated him on his 60th birthday.

The two-hour appearance of the 53-year-old ex-spy fielding questions across a range of policy issues was the climax to a major Kremlin public relations offensive ahead of the summit which will be held in Mr Putin’s home town.—Reuters