MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin left for the United States on Wednesday for a four-day working visit. Russian analysts say the trip will focus on repairing ties that have cooled in the past few months due to differences over Iraq.

Russian-US relations had improved significantly thanks to Moscow's strong support for the war on terror in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, but differences over Iraq have marred the relations between the two anti-terror comrades.

Putin's trip may help Russia seek constructive cooperation with the United States and promote the development of their "strategic partnership."

Rebuilding Iraq and shoring up stability there will be high on the agenda during the visit.

Russia firmly opposed the US military operation against Iraq, but after the war, Moscow has made major efforts to improve relations with the United States, adopting a position of constructive cooperation on the Iraq issue within the framework of the United Nations Security Council.

It has voiced no objection to setting up a multinational force in Iraq under US command, and hopes that the United Nations would pass a relevant resolution on the matter, but it insists that a timetable must be set first for the return of sovereignty to the Iraqis and for the establishment of a legitimate government in Iraq.

It is out of its own strategic needs that Russia seeks to maintain constructive co-operation with the United States. Moscow and Washington share broad common interests in fighting international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Russia also needs US aid in developing its economy.

Russia is also fighting Chechen separatists that have close links with international terrorists, and would face more challenges if the situation in Iraq continues worsening.

And avoiding direct confrontation with the United States and expanding constructive co-operation with it will enhance Russia's economic interests in post-war Iraq, such as those in the oil sector.

Moscow also hopes to reap practical benefits from improved ties with the United States in trade, investment and energy co-operation.

Despite certain progress in economic co-operation, bilateral trade and US investment in Russia are still at a very low level. Moscow feels unhappy with the US refusal to revoke the Jackson-Vanik amendment that restricts high-tech exports to Russia. The two countries are still bargaining over the conditions for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.

Russian media reports said Russia hopes that Putin's meeting with George W. Bush would inject new momentum to advancing bilateral economic co-operation.

Besides Iraq, the two sides are also expected to co-ordinate their stances on other major international and regional security issues such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsular and Moscow's nuclear co-operation with Iran, but observers say some differences are difficult to bridge.

Both Russia and the United States favour a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula, but Moscow has stated its opposition to the use of force in settling the nuclear issue on the peninsula.

It calls for resolving the issue by political and diplomatic means, noting that the security concerns raised by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for security are logical.

Russia has rejected the US call to freeze the construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran, stressing that its nuclear co-operation with Teheran is closely supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Observers say it conforms to Russia's interests of national security, strategy and economic development to push forward its strategic partnership with the United States, but arduous efforts are needed for the two sides to bridge their differences.

(China Daily September 26, 2003)