President Dmitry Medvedev hailed the continuously strengthening cooperation between Russia and the United States, when meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they meet at the presidential residence in Barvikha outside Moscow, October 13, 2009. Clinton said on Tuesday the time had not yet come for more sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme and praised what she said was Russia’s help in tackling the issue.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

“Bilateral relations have also been given an impetus of late,” he said.

The recent G20 summit in Pittsburgh and the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly, said Medvedev, have showed common desire of Russia and the United States to seek solutions to “the most important and difficult” problems.

He also said the two countries are currently discussing in a candid way a number of significant issues including the Middle East, Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Clinton said at the meeting that the United States is looking forward to expanding and deepening its strategic ties with Russia.

She said the United States and Russia should take the leadership on a number of issues such as Iran, DPRK and nuclear non-proliferation, to demonstrate the level of their cooperation and to benefit from such cooperation.

Clinton, who is on a two-day visit to Russia, the first of this kind as the U.S. Secretary of State, has met with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier on Tuesday. She said their meeting was quite successful.

Since President Barack Obama assumed office, the United States has been endeavored to “reset” relations with Russia that plunged to a post cold-war low during the last days of the former Bush administration, which has also been echoed by Russia.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet