Medvedev, Clinton praise ties as they review issues (Extra)

Oct 13, 2009, 16:44 GMT

Moscow - Russian President Dmitri Medvedev met US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday evening, with both praising the improved state of US-Russian ties in dealing with international issues.

Medvedev described bilateral relations as being 'forthright and on a high level' with both sides working intensively and faithfully 'even on such complicated questions as Iran and North Korea.'

The Kremlin leader also praised Clinton's efforts - and those of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov - in Zurich over the weekend in helping to nail down the protocol agreements between the leaders of Turkey and Armenia.

This had been 'a good example of cooperation in difficult international issues,' Medvedev said.

Clinton, who had met Lavrov earlier on in Moscow, said bilateral ties were 'remarkable' and that Washington aimed to 'expand and deepen strategic relations with Russia.'

The mutual remarks were the latest visible sign of the improved atmosphere between Washington and Moscow which has come about under the new administration of President Barack Obama.

In particular, Washington's recent decision to abandon the missile shield plans of the previous Bush administration in eastern Europe - plans which Moscow had bitterly opposed - has given a boost to relations.

Commenting on the new atmosphere, Konstantin Kossatchov, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, pointed to a meeting of Clinton's with Russia civil society groups.

'For the first time in may years has such a meeting taken place without superfluous emotions and with respect shown toward the sovereign development of a society,' Kossatchov said.

He conceded there remained differences regarding the definition of civil rights, but these could be discussed in an atmosphere of trust and understanding.