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WASHINGTON : The United States and Germany are working to build warmer and more solid ties with Russia, US President Barack Obama vowed Friday ahead of a key visit to the former Cold War foe.
In talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel the two leaders "reaffirmed our commitment to a more substantive relationship with Russia," Obama told a White House press conference.
"Working with the Russian government on issues where we agree and honestly confronting those areas where we disagree."
Obama is due to visit Russia on July 6-8 in a bid to improve relations with Moscow that sunk to their lowest level in decades under the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
"In Moscow, we will continue to explore ways in which the United States and Russia can advance our common interests, including our joint commitment to reducing our nuclear arsenals and strengthening the global nonproliferation regime," Obama said.
Signs of the warming ties came already Friday when Moscow's top military commander Nikolai Makarov, the head of Russia's general staff, said the US and Russia would sign a military cooperation agreement during Obama's visit.
"We reached an absolutely identical understanding that in the world there are many more threats and challenges that we should solve on the political and military levels," Makarov said after talks with his US counterpart Admiral Michael Mullen in Moscow.
Such an announcement would have been unthinkable in August when the Georgia crisis pushed relations between the two nations to their lowest point since the Cold War.
For her part, Merkel said Obama's Russia visit would be important for Germany and the European Union.
"We have every interest also in seeing a very good relationship between the United States of America and Russia," she said.
She highlighted the important role Moscow could play in the current crisis over Iran's suspect nuclear program, adding "We want to forge a common position wherever possible with Russia, but also with China.
"We've done that over the years in the format of the United Nations with a number of resolutions, and that needs to be continued."
January's inauguration of Obama, who has pledged to "reset" US-Russian relations, has contributed to the friendlier atmosphere but obstacles still remain to smooth ties between the two former Cold War superpowers.
One major sticking point is the dispute over the US missile shield. Russia fiercely opposes a US plan to place anti-missile radars in the Czech Republic and interceptors in Poland, calling them a threat to Russian security.
Washington says the shield is no threat to Russia and is instead meant to protect against "rogue states" like Iran. But since Obama took power it has been reviewing the project.
- AFP /ls
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