Russia wants 'strong, open' ties with US

MOSCOW, Sunday (AFP) Russia said Sunday that pursuit of a close partnership with the United States remained a top foreign policy priority but confessed it had "concerns" about Washington's actions in some areas.

"Shaping strong relations of partnership with the US ranks among Russia's top foreign policy priorities," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told Interfax news agency, adding that Moscow wanted Washington as a "strong, open and transparent partner."

"Russia and the US must stand together against the threat of terrorism and other global challenges of the modern world," the agency quoted him as saying. At the same time, cooperation between Russia and the United States in the so-called international war on terrorism did not mean that relations between the two countries were free of all disagreement, he said.

"We have questions and concerns about US actions on several tense issues," Yakovenko said, without elaborating.

The September 11 attacks in the United States encouraged both countries "to underscore the essential in their relations" and to overcome differences on the basis of respect and mutual interests, he said.

Close security cooperation between the United States and Russia that was galvanized in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks has in the past year often seemed eclipsed by overriding disputes on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to revolts in ex-Soviet republics.

US President George W. Bush was scheduled to arrive on Sunday in Moscow and to have dinner with President Vladimir Putin at the Russian leader's country residence outside the capital before attending World War II commemorative events on Monday.

After Moscow, Bush was due to cap his trip with a stop in the former Soviet Caucasus republic of Georgia, one of three former Soviet republics to overthrow corrupt, entrenched governments in the last 18 months, defying Moscow and ushering in reforms.