Moscow: A wide range of issues including the proposed American missile shield in Europe is expected to figure during talks between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart George W Bush in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on April 6.

"President Vladimir Putin and George W Bush will hold their working meeting in Sochi. We are happy that President Bush has accepted President Putin's invitation," Kremlin foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.

Both the leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues including the proposed American missile shield in Poland, he said.

Earlier, talking to reporters ahead of next month's NATO summit in Bucharest, Bush announced his plans to fly to Sochi, the seaside retreat of the Russian president.

Announcing his plans to meet Putin, a month before he hands over charge to his successor, Bush said he considered the upcoming talks with Putin as a continuation of recent meetings between the two countries.

At their last meeting in the format earlier this month, Russia and US failed to reach a compromise on the vexed issue of planned deployment of US missile defence radar in Czech Republic and killer missiles in Poland.

Talking to media after recent talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that for the first time Washington has conceded that Moscow's concern is not groundless and have proposed some measures to minimise it.

According to local media, the physical presence of Russian monitors on the US missile defence sites in Europe and postponement of deployment of killer missiles in Poland are some of the steps offered by the US to ease Moscow's concerns.
Source : PTI