Russia, U.S. Agree To Work Out Measures To Expand Economic Cooperation

Russia and the USA have agreed to get down to some serious work on a plan of specific measures related to bilateral economic cooperation and to discuss this plan at the upcoming November talks, announced Vladimir Putin on Sunday during the joint press conference with George W. Bush in Shanghai. According to the Russian leader, the sides attach special importance to economic cooperation. "We have received a clear signal from the US president" to step up this cooperation, he noted, adding that Russia and the USA have already achieved considerable progress in expanding bilateral investment links. Speaking about his Sunday meeting with Bush in Shanghai, Putin referred to it as "productive and useful." "It was an open, frank conversation of the kind we had in Ljubljana and Genoa," he said. "Russia-US cooperation is certainly going uphill," added Putin, who believes the foundation of renewed bilateral relations is getting stronger. "Our priority is a long-term partnership," he concluded. On his part, the US President identified economic cooperation as an important part of the Russia-US relationship. In his opinion, "the growing business links between Russia and the USA may also help neutralize the terrorist threat." Bush described "new relations" between two countries as "apparently warm."