.Kremlin: Medvedev, Obama say need to meet soon
MOSCOW (AP) - The Kremlin said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had agreed with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in a telephone call Saturday that they need to meet soon.
Medvedev congratulated Obama on his election win, and the two agreed on a need to work on Russia-U.S. ties, a Kremlin statement said. Several issues have tested relations between Moscow and Washington, including NATO's possible eastward expansion and U.S. plans for placing components of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Moscow has strongly objected to the missile-defense plans, and on Wednesday - a day after Obama's election - Medvedev announced he would respond by stationing short-range missiles in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, on the doorstep of Poland and Czech Republic.
Obama's plans remain unclear regarding the defense system, the deals for which were brokered under U.S. President George W. Bush.
The Kremlin statement said Obama and Medvedev agreed in their phone call Saturday "to create constructive and positive interaction for the good of global stability and development."
It said they spoke of "the priority of the nature of relations of Russia and the USA ... the positive development of which is principally important not only for the people of both countries, but for the international community as a whole."
Obama and Medvedev also agreed their countries have a common responsibility to address "serious problems of a global nature," and so should schedule an "early bilateral meeting" to address them, the statement said. A Kremlin spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, declined to elaborate or say when such a meeting could take place.
It is unlikely to be at next week's G-20 world summit in Washington, which Obama's representatives said he would not attend. It is not known if Medvedev will be there or if he will send another representative for Russia.
Obama takes over from Bush on Jan. 20.
An Obama aide said Saturday that, during a recent conversation with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, Obama did not commit to the missile-defense plans, contradicting earlier claims by Kaczynski.
Washington has said that the missile-defense system poses no threat to Russia and is meant to protect Europe from possible attacks from the Middle East.
MyWay
Medvedev congratulated Obama on his election win, and the two agreed on a need to work on Russia-U.S. ties, a Kremlin statement said. Several issues have tested relations between Moscow and Washington, including NATO's possible eastward expansion and U.S. plans for placing components of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Moscow has strongly objected to the missile-defense plans, and on Wednesday - a day after Obama's election - Medvedev announced he would respond by stationing short-range missiles in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, on the doorstep of Poland and Czech Republic.
Obama's plans remain unclear regarding the defense system, the deals for which were brokered under U.S. President George W. Bush.
The Kremlin statement said Obama and Medvedev agreed in their phone call Saturday "to create constructive and positive interaction for the good of global stability and development."
It said they spoke of "the priority of the nature of relations of Russia and the USA ... the positive development of which is principally important not only for the people of both countries, but for the international community as a whole."
Obama and Medvedev also agreed their countries have a common responsibility to address "serious problems of a global nature," and so should schedule an "early bilateral meeting" to address them, the statement said. A Kremlin spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, declined to elaborate or say when such a meeting could take place.
It is unlikely to be at next week's G-20 world summit in Washington, which Obama's representatives said he would not attend. It is not known if Medvedev will be there or if he will send another representative for Russia.
Obama takes over from Bush on Jan. 20.
An Obama aide said Saturday that, during a recent conversation with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, Obama did not commit to the missile-defense plans, contradicting earlier claims by Kaczynski.
Washington has said that the missile-defense system poses no threat to Russia and is meant to protect Europe from possible attacks from the Middle East.
MyWay
posted by madtom at 5:15 PM
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