MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) - The presidents of Russia and the United States agreed on the phone on Monday that the two-plus-two ministerial format for talks on strategic issues should be continued, the Kremlin press service said.
"Both sides noted that using this mechanism in bilateral relations for in-depth consideration of the most urgent strategic issues is effective," the statement said.
The two leaders also highlighted "the importance of preserving and developing this and other means of interaction, to ensure long-term prospects of Russian-American cooperation."
The foreign and defense ministers of the two countries held talks in Moscow on October 12, focusing on an ongoing dispute over U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in Central Europe.
The U.S. announced plans in January to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic as part of its missile shield, aimed at countering possible threats from "rogue states" such as Iran and North Korea. Moscow strongly opposes the plans, considering them a threat to its national security.
