Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said relations between Moscow and Washington were key to ensuring global stability and called for dialogue based on "equality and respect."
In a message to his US counterpart Barack Obama on Independence Day in the United States, Putin said US-Russian relations were "the key factor in ensuring stability and security in the world, despite the differences" between the two countries, AFP reported.
"Russia and the US are able to find solutions for the most difficult international problems and effectively counter global threats and challenges," Putin said, according to the Kremlin. This needs to be done by "building dialogue on the principles of equality and respect of each other's interests," the message said.
Putin has also discussed the threat of terrorism, notably from the Islamic State group with the US. The Russian leader had tasked Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with discussing a joint anti-terrorism strategy with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
