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Mr Putin and Mr Sagdeyev, who is a famous for his role in founding the International Space Station, discussed the use of the ISS for scientific, technical and economic purposes. The scientist noted that the implementation of the ISS project gave a significant impetus to international cooperation in studying inter-planetary space and called for a search for new opportunities to broaden cooperation in other fields, for example, in connection with an ABM system developed by the United States.

Though not rejecting the possibility of joint Russian-US efforts in building a defence shield, the President stressed that Russia had its own opinion on whether it was reasonable to create such a system. He said all the work should be centralised and regulated from a single centre to prevent the leakage of promising research from the country and ensure that all participants in the project are aware of the research being done. The President said the experts of the two countries had already been in contact.

Upon his graduation from Moscow State University, Roald Sagdeyev worked at the Kurchatov Institute Research Centre. Currently, he is engaged in plasma physics and controllable thermonuclear fusion. After marrying Susan Eisenhower, the granddaughter of the 34th US President, he lived most of his time in the United States. He is a professor at Maryland University and the director of the East-West Science and Technology Centre. He is engaged in designing new generation Russian space satellites.

His wife, Susan Eisenhower, also attended the meeting. She is the founder and director of the Eisenhower Institute, is engaged in studying social and political problems in Russia and CIS countries, as well as in organising Russian-US cooperation in disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.