MOSCOW, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently in the United States for the G20 summit, said love was the most important thing in life.

"Love is the closest thing that surrounds you. It is the most important thing. Each of us understands the word in his own way, but perhaps it is the most important thing," Medvedev told students at the University of Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Russian-speaking students at the university asked the Russian president, who taught law at St. Petersburg State University in 1990-1999, for advice.

"As a former lecturer, I'll give you a little piece of advice. Treasure the time that you have. This is the happiest time," Medvedev said, adding that his time at university was his happiest.

The Russian leader also shared with U.S. students his views on Moscow's relations with the former Soviet states of Ukraine and Belarus, his plans for the 2012 elections and his opinion on possible new sanctions against Iran.