US President George W Bush paid his respects to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at their final meeting as heads of state, describing him as a ‘strong leader.’"We have met a lot over the past years, I have come to respect you," Bush told Putin as the pair sat down for talks at the Russian leader's summer residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "I respect the fact that you love your country.""You are not afraid to tell me what's on your mind and after it is all said and done we shake hands," Bush said.The talks were an effort to put an amicable face on tense US-Russian relations that have reached a post-Cold War low under the two leaders, who are both due to step down in the coming months.
