BERLIN, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday during his first European trip since being sworn into office that he was worried by a decline in mutual understanding in international affairs.
Speaking in Germany after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, Medvedev said Russia was alarmed by "narrowing trends of mutual understanding in Euro-Atlantic policies."
Medvedev voiced his opposition to U.S. plans to deploy missile bases in Central Europe, Western countries' reluctance to approve an amended Cold War-era Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, and NATO's ongoing expansion - issues that strained ties between Russia and the West under his predecessor, Vladimir Putin.
However, Medvedev hailed relations with Germany, Russia's leading trade partner.
Russia and Germany are jointly building a pipeline, Nord Stream, to pump natural gas from Siberia to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
"...Today's meeting reaffirmed the continued good relations between our countries," Medvedev said.
He said Nord Stream and another ambitious gas project, South Stream, would be launched on time despite environmental and security concerns expressed by some countries.
Merkel said Germany would continue promoting Nord Stream, which she called "strategically important" for the whole of Europe, explaining its importance to its opponents - mainly East and Central European states.
The pipe will bypass transit countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic States, all countries with whom Moscow has had recent energy and other disputes.
Merkel also suggested stepping up meetings within the NATO-Russia Council with the aim of "removing persisting prejudices" and boosting ties.
Other issues fueling tensions between EU states and Russia include Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February. Moscow has sided with Belgrade in refusing to recognize the Albanian-dominated region.
Russia and the EU are to start talks on a new wide-reaching strategic partnership agreement at a summit later this month.
The president's first foreign visits after his inauguration were to Kazakhstan and China on May 22-24.
Medvedev had earlier met Merkel in Moscow on March 8, days after he had won a landslide victory in Russia's presidential elections. His predecessor, Vladimir Putin, was approved as prime minister on May 8.
