Russian president congratulates Obama on Nobel

MOSCOW — Russia’s president has congratulated President Barack Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, saying the award will encourage further U.S.-Russian cooperation, the Kremlin said Saturday.

Dmitry Medvedev said in a letter to Obama that the prize will help advance U.S.-Russian efforts to create a new climate in global politics.

“I hope this decision would serve as an additional incentive for our common work to form a new climate in world politics and promote initiatives which are fundamentally important for global security,” Medvedev said in the letter, which was released by his office.

“I would like to reaffirm our readiness to continue working constructively together to develop Russian-U.S. relations based on principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration of each other’s interests to the benefit of global peace and stability,” Medvedev added.

Obama has moved to “reset” relations with Russia, which worsened under the previous U.S. administration.

Russia has welcomed Obama’s move to dump the Bush-era plan for missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic. Medvedev, in turn, has opened the door to possible new sanctions against Iran.

Russian and U.S. diplomats are currently working to negotiate a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty before it expires on Dec. 5. The agreement is seen as crucial for mutual trust and stability.

Cuts in nuclear arsenals could also give the U.S. and Russia added credibility as they try to persuade Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear programs.