Russia Eager to Improve Relations with US

Russia?s President Vladimir Putin on Monday told Russian diplomats that Russia must improve its relations with the American business community.
?My own friendly ties with President Bush are not enough for a stable, strong relationship,? Putin said.
The necessity relations improvement emerged after the news of tragic death of the American editor of Russian edition of Forbes magazine, who was killed last Friday in Moscow, and the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, ex-chief of YUKOS company.
"Relations with the United States demand constant attention," Putin told some 130 ambassadors at a meeting on foreign policy and their activities.
"Good, trusting contacts on the level of the leadership of both countries foster close cooperation," said Putin, who stressed that such cooperation is needed to combat terrorism, maintain stability and control weapons proliferation.
"But for a stable and strategic partnership, in the full sense of the word, this alone is not enough. As broad as possible a swath of American society - including, of course, business - must be interested in constructive, good relations with Russia," he said.
Putin thanked the ambassadors for helping boost Russia's international clout after a sharp decline after the 1991 Soviet collapse, but suggested the main reasons for the improvement were his moves to strengthen the state and the country's recent economic surge.