BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Russia is seeking to boost relations with Asian countries while its rifts with western nations continue to linger, analysts say.

    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's recent visits to Kazakhstan and China signal that his country seeks a more balanced foreign policy, which analysts describe as an obvious trend in Russia's overall foreign policy in recent years.

    STRENGTHENING RUSSIA-ASIA TIES

    During his two-day visit to China, which concluded Saturday, Medvedev met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the two leaders vowed to push forward the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation.

    "Russia-China relations are one of the most important factors for maintaining stability in modern conditions," Medvedev said Saturday in a speech at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

    Cooperation between China and Russia "is aimed at maintaining aglobal balance," he said.

    The trip to China was Medvedev's first overseas trip since being sworn in on May 7.

    Medvedev's choice of China as the destination for his first tour abroad is indicative of the great importance attached by the two countries to their strategic partnership of cooperation, said Ma Zhengang, director of the China Institute of International Studies.

    Political observers are optimistic about Sino-Russian relations under Medvedev as the two countries, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, believe in addressing international issues with a multilateral approach and within the UN's legal framework.

    Russia has accused the United States and other western nations of abusing international law by invading Iraq and recognizing the self-declared independence of Kosovo.

    Meanwhile, Russia also seeks to boost relations with other Asian powers, including Japan.

    Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda visited Russia late last month in a fresh move by the two nations to promote bilateral ties, despite a festering territorial dispute over four islands in the Pacific Ocean. The major diplomatic barrier has blocked the two countries from entering a peace treaty after World War II.

    The two leaders agreed to further cooperate in areas such as oil and gas, transportation and nuclear power, with Kremlin officials describing Fukuda's visit as "quite satisfactory on the whole."

    On the economic front, Russia maintains mutually beneficial trade ties with many of its Asian partners. Its trade volume with China surged from 10.67 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to 48.17 billion dollars last year.

    Trade volume between Russia and Japan has increased five-fold since 2003, despite the absence of a peace treaty.

    RUSSIA-WEST RIFT

    Russia's reaching out to Asia has drawn international attention, especially after Medvedev took over as Russian president from Vladimir Putin.

    Analysts say Russia is seeking to strengthen ties with Asian nations as a counterpoint to its lingering disputes with several western nations.

    Opposition from Poland and Lithuania has repeatedly prevented the European Union (EU) from agreeing on a mandate to begin talks on a new partnership agreement with Russia.

    Even if the 27-member bloc could finally agree to approve the mandate, hammering out the details of the agreement may be a much more difficult process, say analysts.

    Ratification by the parliament of each of the EU nations could take years, before the new pact finally comes into effect.

    The EU has said the new all-encompassing pact to replace an outdated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement should cover various issues including human rights, a condition rejected by Moscow.

    European concerns over human rights have heightened since the murder of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, and the killing of activist-journalist Anna Politkovskaya the same year. Russia has denied any involvement in either case.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. plan to build a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic remains a sticky issue that is likely to further strain Russia-U.S. relations in the foreseeable future.

    Russia has said the planned system, which includes a radar base in the Czech Republic and 10 missile interceptors in Poland, poses a threat to its security and would trigger a new arms race in the region.

    However, the United States maintains that the system is aimed at states and groups in the Middle East that seek weapons of mass destruction, not against Russia.

    In spite of these disputes, bilateral contact between Russia and some western partners has remained intense in recent years.

    Medvedev plans to visit Germany, Russia's biggest trade partner, in June. Analysts believe Russia, while taking a pragmatic foreign approach, is not likely to give away any of its key European markets.

    Trade volume between Germany and Russia rose to a record 52.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2007. Germany, which relies heavily on Russia's oil and gas supply, invested 3.4 billion dollars in Russia last year, especially in the energy sector.