(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-18 10:54

MOSCOW -- Russia's outgoing President Vladimir Putin and his successor, President-elect Dmitry Medvedev met on Monday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Kremlin, expecting for development in bilateral ties amid disputes on proposed missile shield.

"There is every opportunity for (development in bilateral ties)," Medvedev said, noting he believed it is necessary "to create a foundation for the continuity of Russian-US relations in the near future."

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L) and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) upon their arrival at the Kremlin in Moscow March 17, 2008. [Agencies]

"There are issues on which positions vary, in particular the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and missile defense" and there is still a will to move ahead, said the next Russian head of state who swept to power by a landslide victory in the March 2 election and has pledged to continue Putin's policy.

Rice, for her part, said interaction was the best way to resolve problems and Washington hopes for the development of working contacts with Moscow after Medvedev's investiture in May.

The United States and Russia should develop their relations on the solid foundation they have laid down, Interfax news agency quoted her as saying.

Gates, who showed his broken arm and joked that the injury will make himself an easy negotiator, said the two states could build up the consent they already had and seek consent in issues where differences remain.

The top US diplomat and defense official arrived in Moscow Monday and are expected to talk with their Russian counterparts under a two-plus-two framework in a meeting slated for Tuesday.

The talks are expected to focus on an array of issues such as US plans to deploy a third anti-missile system in Central Europe, Russia's postponing of its obligations in an arms control treaty, as well as Kosovo and other regional and international issues, Kremlin sources said.

Putin, who is to move out of the Kremlin office and is to take the post of Prime Minister in Medvedev's cabinet in May, said he has received a message from his US counterpart George W. Bush which contains suggestions on Russian-US relations.

"If we can agree on the main points, our dialogue will be productive," Itar-Tass quoted him as saying.

Noting there are still many problems left for discussion, Putin said he believes that some of the problems in bilateral ties "have been resolved definitively."

Russian-US relations were soured by arrays of disputes in recent years, typically arguments on Washington's plan to deploy missile interceptors in Poland and radar units in the Czech Republic as part of its efforts to extend the missile defense system to Europe.

Russia has strongly opposed the plan, saying it poses a threat to its security, while Washington said the system is targeting forces in the Middle East that are seeking weapons of mass destruction.

The outgoing Russian president said in February that the world is facing a new arms race and his country is to respond to these challenges by developing more high-tech weapons.

The first two-plus-two meeting was held in Moscow last October, but failed to reach any agreement on missile defense.