Russia and the US agreed on key issues
Adelina Marini, July 6, 2009
The first visit of the American president Barack Obama in Russia provokes a feeling of potential for solving the problems between Russia and the US. Both presidents express confidence that progress can be achieved on all issues which are on the agenda of the two big superpowers. Specific progress can be noticed in the negotiations on the new treaty on strategic weapons. Just for a few hours Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev agreed on double decrease of their nuclear stockpiles, not to use other countries territories to base strategic weapons as well as for the creation of a data exchange centre for rocket launches, the "Novosti" news agency reports.
The online edition of the "New York Times" commented that the preliminary agreement on the above mentioned issues is being concluded just less than a year after the war in Georgia, that caused the strongest tension in relations with Russia after the Cold war.
But with this the good news from Moscow end after it became clear that the US and Russia remain divided in their positions regarding the defense system, planned by Washington, as well as 
the attempts for American influence in the post-Soviet area.
In the economic field the discussions focused on the financial crisis for which Mr. Obama said that the US cannot be blamed. President Obama brought with him in Moscow a large business delegation which engaged to make serious investments in Russia, the "Financial times" reports.
The summit in Moscow is taking place under the slogan "Restart of Russian-American relations". The question is where the EU is in this regard, especially since NATO also registered certain warming in relations with Russia.