During the telephone call, which was Russia’s initiative, Mr Obama expressed his profound condolences over the loss of life caused by the accident at the Raspadskaya Mine. The US President said that, having recently lived through a tragic mine accident in West Virginia, Americans felt particular sympathy with Russia when they learned of the Raspadskaya accident.
The two presidents also discussed issues currently on the bilateral and international agendas, including in the context of Mr Obama’s upcoming visit to the Russian Federation in the second half of June.
Mr Medvedev and Mr Obama had a detailed exchange of views on the Middle East peace process. The Russian President gave his assessment of the situation in the region following the detailed talks that took place during his recent visits to Syria and Turkey.
The two leaders agreed to intensify joint efforts to facilitate a settlement in the region, including by examining possible new directions and approaches that could be taken in addressing the Middle East’s problems.
The two presidents will give the relevant instructions on this matter to their countries’ foreign policy agencies.
Mr Medvedev gave his American counterpart a detailed briefing on Russia’s initiative to establish an international tribunal to try cases of piracy at sea. Mr Obama expressed interest in continued cooperation on developing effective international law mechanisms that would provide solutions to this pressing international issue.
The two presidents also continued their ongoing exchange of views on the Iranian nuclear issue and agreed to step up efforts to arrive soon at a common position among the countries taking part in the six-party talks.