NOVO-OGAREVO, February 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Kissinger, 92, a former US President’s National Security Adviser and former chief of US diplomacy, initiated the policy of "detente" in relations between the United States and the USSR. In 1973 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Peskov said earlier on Wednesday that the meeting of the Russian head of state with the American diplomat was a continuation of their friendly contacts. "Today a friendly dialogue between Putin and Kissinger will continue in Moscow," Peskov said, adding that they have long-lasting relations and always keep in touch. "Putin praises this opportunity to discuss current issues of foreign policy and opinion exchange on the prospects for further developments," Peskov said.
According to media reports, Putin and Kissinger have held more than 10 meetings. In October 2013, receiving the US former secretary of state in Moscow, the Russian president said that Russia always pays great attention to Kissinger’s views on the development of the political situation in the world, calling the former secretary of state "a world class politician."