Russia, US upbeat on missile defence talks
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
MOSCOW, March 18 (AFP): Top US and Russian officials Tuesday hailed a new upbeat mood to their efforts to improve relations and overcome a dispute over a missile defence shield during talks in Moscow.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met their Russian opposite numbers, Anatoly Serdyukov and Sergei Lavrov, for a second day of talks expected to focus on Washington's plans to set up missile defence facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Going into talks, Rice spoke of a "positive spirit" established when she and Gates met President Vladimir Putin and his protege president-elect Dmitry Medvedev Monday.
"We had a positive spirit yesterday.... We look forward to further work today, to having greater details so that perhaps we can strengthen our partnership and overcome some of our differences," Rice said.
Lavrov in turn said Russia was "satisfied with the way our relations are developing" and that there was a "will" to minimise discord.
On Monday Putin announced he had received a "very serious" letter from US President George W. Bush and said "we can put a full stop on some problems in US-Russia relations."
Gates predicted the two sides could conclude a deal on the US missile defence plans before Bush leaves office in January 2009.
The contents of the letter to Putin was not published but was said by a US official to concern the broader US-Russian agenda at a time of leadership transitions in both countries.
This week's meetings were a first chance for the US officials to see at first hand the transition under way after a March election won by Putin's long-time ally Medvedev.
Despite stepping down as president next month, Putin is expected to retain major influence and to take up the post of prime minister.
Russia's Vedomosti business daily reported that the letter from Bush referred to Russia's desire for talks on renewing the strategic arms reduction treaty (START), which runs out at the end of 2009.
The paper quoted analysts as saying Russia had little hope of winning its argument with the United States on missile defence, while renewing the START treaty was central to Moscow's concerns about Washington's nuclear capability.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met their Russian opposite numbers, Anatoly Serdyukov and Sergei Lavrov, for a second day of talks expected to focus on Washington's plans to set up missile defence facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Going into talks, Rice spoke of a "positive spirit" established when she and Gates met President Vladimir Putin and his protege president-elect Dmitry Medvedev Monday.
"We had a positive spirit yesterday.... We look forward to further work today, to having greater details so that perhaps we can strengthen our partnership and overcome some of our differences," Rice said.
Lavrov in turn said Russia was "satisfied with the way our relations are developing" and that there was a "will" to minimise discord.
On Monday Putin announced he had received a "very serious" letter from US President George W. Bush and said "we can put a full stop on some problems in US-Russia relations."
Gates predicted the two sides could conclude a deal on the US missile defence plans before Bush leaves office in January 2009.
The contents of the letter to Putin was not published but was said by a US official to concern the broader US-Russian agenda at a time of leadership transitions in both countries.
This week's meetings were a first chance for the US officials to see at first hand the transition under way after a March election won by Putin's long-time ally Medvedev.
Despite stepping down as president next month, Putin is expected to retain major influence and to take up the post of prime minister.
Russia's Vedomosti business daily reported that the letter from Bush referred to Russia's desire for talks on renewing the strategic arms reduction treaty (START), which runs out at the end of 2009.
The paper quoted analysts as saying Russia had little hope of winning its argument with the United States on missile defence, while renewing the START treaty was central to Moscow's concerns about Washington's nuclear capability.