Hoping to press the "reset button" in US-Russia ties, President Barack Obama today embarked on a historic trip to Russia to mend the damaged relations between the two countries and finalise a deal to replace a Cold War-era treaty on nuclear arms reduction.
During his three-day stay in Moscow, Obama would hold a US-Russia summit meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, besides meeting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and former President Mikhail Gorbachev.
Earlier in an interview to a Russian media outlet, Obama said he was looking forward to explore with Moscow the possibilities of cooperation on economic and defence issues besides on dealing with terrorism and issues like Iran.
"What I said coming in is that I wanted to press the reset button on relations between the US and Russia," he said.
Obama said his first step would be to provide a framework for replacing the Cold War-era missile treaty START.
"My goal is that both countries reduce their nuclear stockpiles in a way that doesn't leave either country with an advantage, but reduces tensions and the expense of maintaining such high nuclear stockpiles," he said.
Obama is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the New Economic School on US-Russia relations. He would travel to Italy for the G-8 Summit, besides visiting Ghana during his week-long trip during which he is accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia.
"I think possibilities for our cooperation on economic, defense issues, dealing with the threat of terrorism in both countries, our ability to deal constructively with issues like Iran, increasing trade and commercial relations — those are all issues that are important," Obama said on his agenda during the Russia leg of his visit.
A Kremlin aide said last week that the Russian and US presidents plan to sign deals on the post Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that expires in December and the transit of US military supplies bound for Afghanistan.
Obama said: "If we can get the framework during this summit, then we will be able to advance a treaty by the end of December. There are other issues that I want to make sure that we discuss that have to do with our mutual security".
He said he would like to convey to Russian leadership "America's respect for Russia" and that "we want to deal as equals".
"We are both nuclear superpowers; with that comes special responsibilities that are very different from the positions of many other countries, and we have to handle those responsibilities in a way that encourages peace," Obama said.
He said nuclear proliferation remains high on his agenda besides counter-terrorism activities."But given the unique position the US and Russia has when it comes to nuclear power, for us to send a strong signal that we want to reduce our stockpiles I think would help us internationally, to give people a sense that we're moving into a new era and we want to get beyond the Cold War," Obama said.
"I will come away from this meeting with a better sense of their concerns, their policies, and hopefully they will get a sense that I'm somebody that they can do business with in an effective way."
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