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US officials join talks in Russia, `set right tone'

Russia and the US struck an optimistic note yesterday before talks that are likely to be tough on nuclear arms control, NATO expansion and US plans to build a missile defense shield.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were due to hold talks with their Russian counterparts after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev on Monday.

"I'm very much looking forward to your thoughts about the political situation and how the transition in this country is taking place," Rice said at the beginning of a private breakfast meeting with the leaders. Rice also said she wanted to know what the US could do to "make this a more open and participatory political system" and encourage economic and entrepreneurial development.

Among those Rice and Gates saw was longtime political opposition figure Grigory Yavlinsky, head of the Yabloko Party.

During a brief greeting witnessed by reporters on Monday, Putin did not mention US plans for a missile shield system in Eastern Europe that had angered Russia and stoked Cold War rhetoric about an imperial US meddling at Russia's doorstep.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday's discussions had "set the right tone."

"We are satisfied with the way our relationships are developing," Lavrov said ahead of talks that also involve Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

Former Cold War foes Russian and the US differ sharply over the missile shield, Kosovo's independence from Russian ally Serbia and the war in Iraq although they have cooperated on sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

Gates said on Monday a deal might be reached on the missile shield -- which Russia sees as a threat to its security -- before US President George W. Bush's term ends in January next year.

Putin said on Monday he saw a chance to improve relations with the US after receiving what he called a serious document from Bush.

That document, a letter from Bush, laid out long-term topics for discussion and could set the stage for an agreement on the basis of a relationship for subsequent Russian and US leaders, US officials said.

Similar meetings in the past between US and Russian foreign and defense ministers have yielded little progress on the main problems. When pressed, Gates said he was cautious about the potential gain.

"These are big issues and a lot of problems need to be solved," he said.

Russian newspapers were equally cautious.

"It looks like both sides confirm their readiness for talks across the whole strategic agenda," the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta said. "But at the same time they do not rush to demonstrate any changes in their positions."

The visit by Gates and Rice, their second to Russia in five months, was mainly intended to find a way out of the dispute over US plans to place parts of a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, once Soviet-allied territory.

Greeting Gates and Rice in his ornate office, Putin recalled that they had held talks last October -- a session dominated by differences over missile defense and marked by sharp rhetoric from the Russian president.

"Six months have passed and we believe that in some of these issues we can probably dot the I's and reach final agreement," Putin said.

The two sides are also likely to discuss how to continue nuclear arms control efforts and the possibility of NATO taking in Ukraine and Georgia, two former Soviet republics which Moscow considers part of its sphere of influence.
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