Putin to teach Sarkozy martial arts

LONDON: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, an expert in judo, has promised to teach martial arts to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
 
Putin's martial prowess has been well documented. The former colonel in the Soviet intelligenc KGB has often been filmed in white judo dress wrestling opponents to the floor.
 
Russia's political strongman, speaking to a French newspaper, said Sarkozy wanted to learn some of his black-belt martial arts skills.
 
"He is interested in martial arts and we have decided to do some training together," the 55-year-old Russian leader was quoted as saying by the Daily Telelgraph in an interview with Le Figaro.
 
The British daily said officials at the office of Sarkozy refused to comment on the forthcoming judo sessions. The nature of the training bout between the two leaders has also raised much speculation.
 
When Sarkozy met Putin in Moscow last October, the French leader warned his counterpart to "behave responsibly" on the world stage. They have since argued about how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme, the status of Kosovo and the Russian intervention in Georgia.