Lausanne (Switzerland): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was at his jovial best in a press conference he addressed on June 2 in which he disclosed President George Bush told him he stopped drinking liquor 16 years ago but would not reveal his own position on that.

The insight into Bush's personal habits came during the course of an interaction Vajpayee had with him at the table they shared at a dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on May 31 night as part of the tercentenary celebrations of the city.

"How many people knew that Bush doesn't drink," Vajpayee said referring to the occasion when they raised a toast at Putin's dinner and said he was himself surprised that Bush didn't.

Bush held in his hand a glass of water and raised a toast to India's health.

"I asked him don't you drink (liquor)," Vajpayee said.

Bush replied, "I stopped it 16 years ago."

Then came the question from a reporter "You said about Bush. You have not told us what you drank."

With a wink of an eye he shot back to the laugher of all those gathered, "is it necessary to give an answer to this".

PTI