Obama, Medvedev Agree to Hold bilateral Meeting soon

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Moscow: US President-elect Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to hold a meeting in the near future to address strained bilateral ties and engage in "constructive and positive interaction".

Medvedev, who had earlier sent a plane-worded message to Obama following his election, called up the future US head of state to personally congratulate him on his "impressive" victory in the presidential elections.

"The two leaders expressed their desire to engage in constructive and positive interaction for the benefit of international stability and development.

In this regard, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama understand the need for a bilateral meeting in the nearest future," a Kremlin release said on Saturday.

During last years of the Bush administration, relations between the former Cold War rivals plunged to a record low since the Soviet collapse over a host of differences, including deployment of US missile shields in Europe and the Georgian crisis.

Both Medvedev and Obama emphasised that relations between Russia and the US are at priority for both parties and their positive development is crucial not only for people of the two countries but also for the wider international community.

Faced with serious problems of a global nature that require harmonious efforts between all countries, Russia and the US face common challenges and bear shared responsibility, they noted.

Medvedev, who had refrained from congratulating America's first black President-elect in his state of the nation address on November 4, had also announced the decision to deploy missiles near Poland.

The announcement to set up Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad territory between Poland and Lithuania came just as Obama was elected to the White House.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not rule out that Medvedev and Obama could meet in Washington next weekend on the sidelines of G20 summit on global financial crisis as the two sides try to ease tensions over US Bush plans to deploy elements of the American missile shield in Poland and Czech Republic.

"Moscow hopes for a more constructive dialogue with the administration of Barack Obama about the deployment of US missile defence shield elements in Europe", Lavrov said after his talks in Sharm-al-Sheikh with Condoleezza Rice on the sidelines of West Asia quartet meeting.

Foreign Ministry here said that Russia may scrap plans to deploy its short-range "Iskander" missiles on border with Poland if the US gives up east Europe missile plans.

"Accords on strategic offensive arms and missile shield elements will surely be finally agreed with the new US administration. We drew attention to the positions, which Barack Obama published on his website. They instil hope that we'll be able to discuss these issues more constructively," Lavrov was quoted assaying by RIA Novosti.



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