Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have pledged to boost bilateral ties and intensify interaction, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The top diplomats of the two countries, during phone talks Monday, agreed to maintain intensive contacts on all international and bilateral issues of common interest, the ministry said in a statement.
"Special mention was made of the importance of intensifying interaction in a bilateral format, including issues of strategic dialogue and economic cooperation, and also on pressing international problems, including the Afghan settlement," the ministry said.
Russia-U.S. ties have deteriorated in recent years due to an array of rows, including Washington's plan to establish an anti-ballistic missile shield in Central Europe and its support of Ukraine and Georgia's bids for NATO membership.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of his hard-line predecessor and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has voiced willingness to cooperate with the new U.S. administration of Barack Obama in a bid to revive bilateral ties, reported Xinhua.