Obama to meet powerful Putin for first time

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama meets Russia's most powerful politician, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, for the first time on Tuesday as part of a trip designed to improve relations between the world's top nuclear powers.

Obama's meeting with the former KGB spy follows talks on Monday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that produced agreements on a target for cuts in nuclear arms and a deal to let U.S. troops fly across Russia to fight in Afghanistan.

On the second day of his visit to Russia, Obama is also due to deliver a major speech on democracy, the global economy and the U.S.-Russian relationship.

Business leaders travelling with Obama want to use the visit to boost trade and investment. Russian trade with the United States was just $36 billion in 2008, the same amount as with Poland, and investment has lagged that of European competitors.

Obama, who praised Medvedev as straightforward and professional, said before his trip that Putin still had one foot stuck in the Cold War, prompting a retort from the former Russian president who handpicked Medvedev as his successor.

When asked about the centre of power in Russia on Monday, Obama stuck closer to a diplomatic script on Medvedev and Putin, who stayed on as prime minister after anointing Medvedev and is the man who holds most political clout in Russia.

"My interest is in dealing directly with my counterpart, the President (Medvedev), but also to reach out to Prime Minister Putin and all other influential sectors in Russian society," Obama told reporters.

ACCORD ON NUCLEAR ARMS

At a cordial news conference in the Kremlin's vast, gilded St Andrew's Hall on Monday, Obama and Medvedev spoke of their resolve to put differences behind them and focus on cooperating to solve global problems like the spread of nuclear weapons.

Both mentioned the issues that still divide them -- Russia's opposition to Washington's plans for a missile defence shield in central Europe and U.S. insistence on Georgia's territorial integrity -- but stressed the positive aspects.

The two leaders pledged to finalise a treaty by the year-end to cut the number of deployed nuclear warheads on each side to 1,500-1,675 from levels above 2,200.

Russia said it would allow 4,500 flights a year carrying U.S. troops and weapons to Afghanistan to cross its territory free of charge, a move hailed by the U.S. side as showing Moscow's willingness to help in the war against the Taliban.

"We have resolved to reset U.S.-Russia relations so that we can cooperate more effectively," said Obama.

Medvedev described their talks as "very useful and open, business-like conversations" and said they would aim to build a U.S.-Russian relationship worthy of the 21st century.

(Editing by Ralph Gowling)

WhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedinBeloudBluesky