President Vladimir Putin gave a glowing assessment of his state visit to Britain, saying the trip proved to be "busy" and "fruitful" despite the slight inconvenience of having to wear tails for the first time.
Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, on Friday ended a four-day stay at Buckingham Palace as the personal guests of Queen Elizabeth II, in the first state visit from Russia since 1874.
"It was a rather fruitful event, and not only because it was the first one in 150 years," Putin told reporters in the Baltic port of Kaliningrad on Saturday. "It was very busy. There were many meetings with different British political players, many informal talks, including ones with the prime minister."
Putin said each informal get-together "offered an opportunity to better understand a partner."
Oil and gas deals were an economic highlight of the pomp-filled trip. Moscow and London initialed an agreement Thursday to construct a $6 billion pipeline to deliver Russian gas to Britain via the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. The two sides also signed documents finalizing the merger of British oil giant BP's Russian assets with Tyumen Oil Co.
Business aside, Putin acknowledged Saturday that he had felt a bit uncomfortable several times during his stay -- especially with Britain's "archaic" official protocol.
"I put on tails for the first time in my life, and can't say I liked it," he said, referring to a reception thrown in his honor Tuesday night at Buckingham Palace. "It's not a very convenient attire, at least for me."
He added, however, that Britain's rigid protocol "defines a certain standard, and it's not bad at all that these traditions are preserved."
Another rough moment, Putin said, was expressing his condolences in English for six British officers killed in Iraq. He made the remarks at the start of a speech at the reception Tuesday. The British military police officers died earlier in the day in southern Iraq.
"I believe I was obliged to do this -- even during the magnificent celebrations -- to commemorate their deaths on a tragic day for Britain," Putin said.
"It was not easy," he said. "I don't study English, it's sort of an entertainment, just 10 to 15 minutes a day."
Putin threw a banquet of his own for Queen Elizabeth at Spencer House in London on Thursday evening. The menu included caviar, pike rasstegais, duck stuffed with venison tongue and quail fillet covered with cowberry sauce, Interfax reported.
The dishes were prepared by Russian chefs with ingredients especially flown in from Russia.
Russian waiters poured Sovietskoye Shampanskoye and Dagestani cognac, while Putin's traveling orchestra provided the music.
This time around, Putin donned a black suit without tails and his wife wore a dark gown with a shawl.
Earlier Thursday, Putin visited the Royal Observatory Greenwich and made a symbolic step from east to west across the Prime Meridian, the invisible line that determines how the world sets it clocks.
Some 200 tourists, including several Russians, were touring the site, and Putin chatted with them for several minutes.
The next day, the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, waved good-bye to the Putins from the gates of Buckingham Palace as the president's motorcade left for Heathrow Airport.
Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, on Friday ended a four-day stay at Buckingham Palace as the personal guests of Queen Elizabeth II, in the first state visit from Russia since 1874.
"It was a rather fruitful event, and not only because it was the first one in 150 years," Putin told reporters in the Baltic port of Kaliningrad on Saturday. "It was very busy. There were many meetings with different British political players, many informal talks, including ones with the prime minister."
Putin said each informal get-together "offered an opportunity to better understand a partner."
Oil and gas deals were an economic highlight of the pomp-filled trip. Moscow and London initialed an agreement Thursday to construct a $6 billion pipeline to deliver Russian gas to Britain via the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. The two sides also signed documents finalizing the merger of British oil giant BP's Russian assets with Tyumen Oil Co.
Business aside, Putin acknowledged Saturday that he had felt a bit uncomfortable several times during his stay -- especially with Britain's "archaic" official protocol.
"I put on tails for the first time in my life, and can't say I liked it," he said, referring to a reception thrown in his honor Tuesday night at Buckingham Palace. "It's not a very convenient attire, at least for me."
He added, however, that Britain's rigid protocol "defines a certain standard, and it's not bad at all that these traditions are preserved."
Another rough moment, Putin said, was expressing his condolences in English for six British officers killed in Iraq. He made the remarks at the start of a speech at the reception Tuesday. The British military police officers died earlier in the day in southern Iraq.
"I believe I was obliged to do this -- even during the magnificent celebrations -- to commemorate their deaths on a tragic day for Britain," Putin said.
"It was not easy," he said. "I don't study English, it's sort of an entertainment, just 10 to 15 minutes a day."
Putin threw a banquet of his own for Queen Elizabeth at Spencer House in London on Thursday evening. The menu included caviar, pike rasstegais, duck stuffed with venison tongue and quail fillet covered with cowberry sauce, Interfax reported.
The dishes were prepared by Russian chefs with ingredients especially flown in from Russia.
Russian waiters poured Sovietskoye Shampanskoye and Dagestani cognac, while Putin's traveling orchestra provided the music.
This time around, Putin donned a black suit without tails and his wife wore a dark gown with a shawl.
Earlier Thursday, Putin visited the Royal Observatory Greenwich and made a symbolic step from east to west across the Prime Meridian, the invisible line that determines how the world sets it clocks.
Some 200 tourists, including several Russians, were touring the site, and Putin chatted with them for several minutes.
The next day, the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, waved good-bye to the Putins from the gates of Buckingham Palace as the president's motorcade left for Heathrow Airport.