Olmert reports "positive messages" from Putin

By JPOST STAFF, AP
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday night that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were communicating with one another, and that he had received "positive messages" from Putin. It was not clear what those messages entailed. Later Tuesday, Putin said he was very optimistic that his country will manage to strike an agreement with Iran over its disputed nuclear program. The Russian president also said that no countries should be restricted from participating in nuclear energy within the framework of international law. "We are very optimistic and our judgment is that we can come to an agreement with our negotiating partners," he told reporters on a visit to Hungary.