Putin's letter to Obama covers all hot issues: Kremlin

Xinhua, May 24, 2013

Nearly all hot topics on Russia-U.S. relations have been mentioned in a letter sent by President Vladimir Putin to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, the Kremlin said Friday.

According to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin stressed in his letter that Moscow's vision on issues concerning the missile defense, Syria, Iran and the Korean Peninsula differed from Washington's stance.

"Naturally, our estimations of the U.S. plans on missile defense are different from the U.S. vision in many aspects," Ushakov told reporters.

Putin mentioned virtually all hot topics of the Russia-U.S. relations in his message, including cooperation in such areas as security and humanitarian relief.

"Certain decisions that could be announced at Lough Erne (venue of the upcoming G8 summit) are being discussed. Formats of further political, trade and economic cooperation are being discussed as well," Putin's aide said.

The letter was delivered to Obama by Russian Federal Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev earlier this week.

Ushakov said the Kremlin did not expect another round of message exchanges between Putin and Obama. Instead the two leaders will meet in person during the G8 summit in Northern Ireland and talk over phone, Ushakov said.