Top U.S. officials say "impressed" by Russia's Medvedev

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even before she landed in Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was talking about Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev as someone she thought she could do business with.

With U.S.-Russia relations at a low, the Bush administration is looking anxiously at Medvedev, who takes over as president in May while outgoing President Vladimir Putin is expected to become his prime minister.

Both Rice and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said during talks with the incoming and outgoing presidents how important it was to get U.S.-Russia ties on a better footing.

"We want to lay a good foundation for U.S.-Russia relations going into the future despite our differences," said Rice, who warmly greeted Medvedev and congratulated him on his win in this month's presidential election.

The two major powers, while working together on issues such as Iran and North Korea, have disagreed strongly over a U.S.-proposed missile defense system in Europe, Kosovo's independence and a range of other security issues.

The United States has also criticized what it says is an erosion of civil liberties, press freedoms and democratic norms under Putin.

"The possibilities are there for change," Rice told reporters of Medvedev, shortly before landing in Moscow.

Experts say U.S.-Russia relations have been adrift, with the United States bogged down in Iraq and focusing on Afghanistan and other areas.