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John, performing at a luxury shopping and entertainment
centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world
tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but
said he would return to try to see him.
"As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on
this trip," John, whose music has been popular in Russia since
the Soviet era, told the audience.
"Although it wasn't possible, I'm deeply grateful to him for
inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including
LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in
future to meet."
Putin's spokesman said last week that the Russian leader's
schedule did not match up with John's, but that a meeting might
take place "next time." Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on
Tuesday morning for a meeting.
In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as
one of the world's most famous gay celebrities to push for equal
rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be
willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting.
Western governments and human rights activists have criticized
the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and
John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the
dissemination of "gay propaganda" among young Russians.
Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people.
John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia's AIDS
epidemic.
The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1
million mark earlier this year and the country's top AIDS
specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record
levels.
(Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
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