President Bush today laughed off a quip from Vladimir Putin about Dick Cheney's quail-hunting accident but said that he would still be firm in expressing his concerns about democracy when he speaks to his Russian counterpart at the G8 summit in St Petersburg this weekend.

Speaking on a visit to Germany hosted by Chancellor Merkel, Mr Bush said: "I'll be firm about my belief in certain democratic institutions. I'll be firm in my belief about the need for there to be an active civil society."

The US Vice-President angered the Kremlin with a speech in May in which he accused Russia of cracking down on religious and political rights, and of using its energy reserves as "tools of intimidation or blackmail".

Mr Putin replied to the criticism this week, likening it to "an unsuccessful shot on his hunting trip" - a reference to an incident in February when Mr Cheney sprayed a friend with shot during a quail hunt.

Asked about the jibe today, Mr Bush replied: "It was pretty clever - actually quite humorous. Not to diss (show disrespect to) my friend the Vice-President."

But Mr Bush said that he would take care not to lecture Mr Putin during his visit to Russia. "Nobody really likes to be lectured a lot. And, therefore, if you want to be an effective person, what you don’t do is scold the person publicly all the time," he said.

It is Mr Bush's first visit to Germany since Frau Merkel's election, although she has twice visited Washington and has made the improvement relations with the US a cornerstone of her foreign policy.

In a sign of the increasingly close bond between the two leaders, Mr Bush is making a two-day visit to Frau Merkel's parliamentary constituency and home area of Stralsund in the old East Germany.

Security in the coastal town has been stepped up for the presidential visit, with residents forced to move their cars from the centre and ordered to bring bicycles, flower pots and other outdoor items inside.

On his arrival, Mr Bush greeted Mrs Merkel with kisses on the cheeks before being presented with a barrel of pickled herring, a local Baltic delicacy. The two leaders held what the US President described as a strategy meeting, covering issues including the Middle East, Iran and North Korea.

Mr Bush pledged to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict over Iran's nuclear programme but conceded that it would be hard work to find one.

"I truly think they’re trying to wait us out, that it’s only a matter of time before people lose their nerve. And I think they are going to be sorely mistaken."

The five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council - Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States - plus Germany have led international efforts to get Iran to stop efforts to enrich uranium. Enriched uranium can be used to fuel power plants or make bombs depending on the level of enrichment.

Mr Bush has the support of Frau Merkel on the issue but he will find it more difficult to secure the backing of Mr Putin and China, who have both opposed imposing sanction.

Frau Merkel spent part of the day showing Mr Bush round the historic Baltic port of Stralsund and was hosting a wild boar roast for him later, in the village of Trinwillershagen.

During the press conference, Mr Bush made four references to the feast, which involves slaughtering and roasting a pig according to local tradition.

"I’m looking forward to the feast you’re going to have tonight. I understand I may have the honour of slicing the pig," he told the German Chancellor.

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