US, Russia to set aside 'Cold War mentalities'

London: The United States of America and Russia finally seem to have left behind their Cold War mindsets.

US President Barack Obama met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for the first time on Wednesday at the G20 summit in London.

With both the countries housing the largest nuclear stockpiles in the world, the major topic was nuclear arms control.

In a joint statement, both agreed to replace an existing arms-control treaty with a new pact, setting aside "Cold War mentalities" and addressing disputes "openly and honestly".

Obama also discussed North Korea's planned rocket launch with Medvedev.

A senior administration official briefed on Wednesday that Obama also raised the issue in a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London.

The official said that Obama "also made clear that we will respond in the event of a launch."

The issue is expected to be a key topic at Obama's summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday.

(With inoputs from AP)