Russian President Vladimir Putin and UScounterpart George W. Bush agreed Saturday by telephone on the needto continue Russian-American political dialog on the Iraq war.
The two emphasized "the importance of pursuing intensivepolitical dialog between the two countries, despite the knowndifferences between their positions in order to search for solutionsin the interests of the international community," said a Kremlinstatement.
Russia has joined France and Germany among leading Europeannations opposing military intervention in Iraq.
Putin on Thursday said Russia had no wish to see American defeat inIraq, and sought continued cooperation with Washington to resolveglobal crises.
Today Putin also made a fresh effort to mend ties with anappeal to parliament to ratify a major nuclear disarmament treatysigned with Washington last year.
"Our position and that of the United States on the Iraqi problemdo not coincide. And this of course creates a difficult environmentfor further work on ratification of this accord," he said:
"But Russia wants to see this document ratified. We will workwith deputies of the chambers of parliament and I hope that we willmove to ratification," Putin said in on television.
Russian ratification of the so-called "Moscow treaty" had beenscheduled for late last month, but the State Duma lower house ofparliament called off the vote in protest at the US-led war inIraq.
On Saturday Putin also discussed the war in Iraq with FrenchPresident Jacques Chirac in a telephone conversation, the twoleaders confirming their wish to see the United Nations play aleading role, a Russian statement said.
It expressed satisfaction at three-way talks in Paris Fridaybetween the foreign ministers of Russia, France and Germany.
The three urged an early end to hostilities and stressed theneed for humanitarian aid and the UN role.
However they did not reach a common position on the exact rolethe UN would play in post-war Iraq.
Russia and France as permanents Security Council members andGermany, a non-permanent member, opposed the idea of a Councilresolution paving the way to war, forcing the United States andBritain to invade Iraq without UN backing.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday he favouredFrance, Germany, Russai and Syria participating in post-warreconstruction, although the US House of Representatives opposesthis.
Russian protestors against the war in Iraq threw paper planesSaturday at the Moscow outlet of the US fast food chain McDonald's.
Dozens participated in the rally in Moscow's Pushkin Squareorganised by the Russian branch of the ATTAC anti-globalisationmovement and the leftist Socialist Resistance group.
Despite rapprochement efforts, Moscow has neverthelesscriticised the US State Department's annual report on human rightsabuses, accusing Washington of double standards.
"The assessment of respect for human rights in the United Statesitself and in other countries is full of the same old cliches anddouble standards," the foreign ministry said.
The US 2002 report accused Moscow of not respecting pressfreedom and of abuses in Chechnya, where Russia troops have beenfighting separatist rebels.