by Xinhua writers Hai Yang, Yu Maofeng and Lu Jingli

    MOSCOW, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday in an effort to seek strategic cooperation with Russia on a number of key issues such as nuclear arms reduction, missile defense and Iran.

    Analysts said Russia and the United States were both satisfied with the ongoing "reset" process, yet it required further and greater efforts from both sides to iron out differences on several major issues. Meanwhile, the specter of mistrust continues to linger.

    CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS ON NEW ARMS REDUCTION TREATY

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they meet at the presidential residence in Barvikha outside Moscow, October 13, 2009. Clinton said on Tuesday the time had not yet come for more sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme and praised what she said was Russia's help in tackling the issue.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Lavrov said at a press conference with Clinton on Tuesday that Russia and the United States had made considerable progress on a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.

    "We have made significant advancement (on the treaty). At the same time, we have discussed issues which have yet to be negotiated and fine-tuned," he said.

    Clinton described her meeting with Lavrov as comprehensive and fruitful, which she said was a result of the U.S.-Russia "reset" process that had been going on for months.

    Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama agreed in London in early April to work out a replacement for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1) before it expires on Dec. 5, as a breakthrough of the "reset" process.

    At a July summit in Moscow, the two presidents agreed on the outline of the new arms cuts treaty, after which multiple rounds of talks have been held between the two sides in Geneva.

    In an interview broadcast on Russia's Channel One TV station on Sunday, Medvedev said there was a good chance that Russia and the United States would clinch a new treaty by the end of this year.

    "There is certainly a chance for the agreement, since the new U.S. administration has demonstrated interest in this topic," Medvedev opined.

    The Russian head of state said both sides needed to display wisdom and willingness to listen to each other while trying to realize their ultimate goal of a nuclear-free world.

    Meanwhile, at Tuesday's press conference, Clinton admitted that the two countries nonetheless had some divergences.

    One huge stumbling block had been the missile defense system the United States had planned to deploy in Eastern Europe under the Bush administration, since Russia linked the anti-missile issue with nuclear arms reduction.

    Now that the Obama administration had scrapped the old Bush-era missile defense system while initiating a new "stronger, smarter and swifter" approach, the stumbling block had apparently been removed, analysts said.

    Other divergences also surfaced during the multiple rounds of long talks.

    Analysts said Russia and the United States still had some differences over the nuclear arsenal cut, and both sides needed to make further compromises and concessions in order to meet the December deadline.

    STANDOFF OVER MISSILE SHIELD

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a news conference after she met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(R) in Moscow, capital of Russia, on Oct, 13, 2009. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia and the United States have made considerable progress on a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.(Xinhua/Lu Jinbo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Obama announced on Sept. 17 that Washington would shelve a Bush-era missile defense shield program while initiating a "phased, adaptive approach" in Eastern Europe.

    The Bush administration had planned to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of its European missile shield to protect its European allies from missile threats from "rogue states." Russia had strongly opposed the Bush-era plan, saying it posed a threat to its national security.

    Under the new plan, Washington would replace the land-based facilities in Eastern Europe with sea-based systems. The U.S. shift has received a warm response from Russia, which later declared an end to its plans to install short-range Iskander missiles in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.

    After talks with Clinton here on Tuesday, Lavrov said Russia and the United States would continue talks on a new missile defense system.

    Clinton in turn said Washington had presented Moscow with its reassessment of the Iranian missile threat and was expecting cooperation with Moscow on the missile shield.

    The United States was hoping to work together with Russia to assess common security threats and establish information exchange centers, Clinton added.

    Russia earlier disclosed that its proposal to jointly use radar stations in Azerbaijan's Gabala and South Russia's Armavir was still on the table. However, it complained about the vagueness of the new U.S. missile defense plan.

    The new plan that had been announced was not a joint plan of Russia and the United States, Lavrov said. "It is the plan of the Obama administration," he asserted.

    The more details Russia gets about the plan, the easier and faster the parties would reach an understanding on prospects for further joint efforts, he added.

    Russia would give further responses only after it carefully studies the revamped U.S. plan, analysts said. It remains unknown whether the United States would inform Russia of its latest adjustment, so their positions on the missile shield so far have not been clear.