President Putin suggests Russia-American "dialogue without new irritants"

President Vladimir Putin has suggested to U.S. President Barrack Obama that Russia and the U.S. maintain a "dialogue without new irritants," the Interfax news agency reports citing Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

This week Mr. Patrushev visited the United States and handed the American president a personal message from his Russian counterpart.

According to the letter special attention is to be paid to problems surrounding defense and arms control.

Mr. Patrushev said that the U.S. proposals on missile defense are a step in the right direction but that matters which are of concern to Russian have not yet been resolved.

"We need clear and reliable assurance that the development of the anti-missile potential of the U.S. and its allies would not undermine the effectiveness of Russia's nuclear deterrent forces," said the secretary of the Russian Security Council.

Mr. Patrushev restated the Russian position that there should be legally binding international treatiesgoverning the matter.