The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Moscow

Top US and Russian officials on Tuesday hailed a new upbeat mood to their efforts to improve relations and overcome a dispute over a missile defence shield during talks in Moscow.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met their Russian opposite numbers, Anatoly Serdyukov and Sergei Lavrov, for a second day of talks expected to focus on Washington's plans to set up missile defence facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Going into talks, Rice spoke of a "positive spirit" established when she and Gates met President Vladimir Putin and his protege president-elect Dmitry Medvedev on Monday.

"We had a positive spirit yesterdayt. We look forward to further work today, to having greater details so that perhaps we can strengthen our partnership and overcome some of our differences," Rice said.

Lavrov in turn said Russia was "satisfied with the way our relations are developing" and that there was a "will" to minimise discord.