U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)
MOSCOW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The fundamental mutual interests of Moscow and Washington, including fighting terrorism, will help to improve their relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
Addressing a plenary session of the Russian Energy Week, which kicked off in Moscow on Oct. 3, he said the two countries share fundamental interests, including energy policies, fighting cybercrime, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, anti-terrorism efforts and dealing with regional conflicts.
"I think these fundamental mutual interests will sooner or later change the nature of Russian-U.S. relations for the better," Putin said.
"Some forces are making use of Russian-American relations to resolve internal political problems in the United States," he said.
The REW, being held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, will end on Oct. 10. Participants will discuss prospects for the development of the core sectors of the economy, including oil, gas, coal and petrochemical industries.
On Tuesday, Putin had said that Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on the basis of equality.
While accepting the diplomatic credentials of new foreign ambassadors, including the new U.S. envoy to Russia Jon Huntsman, Putin called the current level of Russian-U.S. relations "unsatisfactory".
He said Russia advocates constructive, predictable and mutually beneficial cooperation based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, respect of national interests and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
