国际英语新闻：Obama vows to reboot relations with Russia

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday dismissed a report saying he has offered a deal with Russia on Iran's weapon program, but stressed that Washington needs to reset and reboot the U.S.- Russia relationship.

    "I think that the report that was in the New York Times didn't accurately characterize the letter," Obama told reporters in the White House alongside visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

    The newspaper said Tuesday that Obama has sent a letter to his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedevl three weeks ago and offered a secret deal suggesting Washington would not need to proceed with anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe, if Moscow helps stop Iran from developing nuclear warheads and ballistic missile.

    "What I said in the letter is the same thing that I've said publicly, which is that the missile defense that we have talked about deploying is directed towards not Russia, but Iran," said the president.

    "What I said in the letter was that, obviously, to the extent that we are lessening Iran's commitment to nuclear weapons, then that reduces the pressure for the need for a missile defense system," he added.

    Obama's predecessor George W. Bush and his administration planned to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic as part of its European missile shield, in a so-called prevention of its European allies from missile threat by "rouge state."

    Russia strongly opposes the measure, saying it poses threat to its security.

    President Medvedev announced plans to deploy the missiles in Kaliningrad shortly after Obama was elected U.S. president in November 2008, obviously to counter the U.S. missile defense system plan in Eastern Europe.

    Looking for Russia's cooperation on challenges, such as financial crisis, terrorism, proliferation, the Obama administration has vowed to "press the reset button" with Moscow through more bilateral strategic cooperation and conversation.

    "We've had a good exchange between ourselves and the Russians. I've said that we need to reset or reboot the relationship there," said Obama, adding "My hope is that we can have a constructive relationship where, based on common respect and mutual interest, we can move forward."

    Obama and Medvedev are expected to meet for the first time on April 2 in London.