Toyako, Japan - US President George W Bush met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Japan on Monday and later described his counterpart as "a smart guy" who could be trusted.

Paris - Europe is playing an ineffectual double game with Russia and must cease if it wants to better diversify its energy sources, the former head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Claude

Brussels - Russia and the European Union on Friday held "positive" first talks on a strategic deal covering issues from energy to education, the diplomats leading the talks said.

London, July 4 : Britain’s security services have identified Russia as the

Moscow- Gas prices in Europe could hit 500 dollars per 1,000

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will try to resolve a key territorial dispute, the top government spokesman said Thursday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said he hoped the next week's meeting would serve as "an important catalyst" to resolving the longstanding dispute over four islands.

Although the Russian president recognizes the difficulty over resolving the dispute, Japan welcomes his intention to resolve the issue over the Kuril Islands, Machimura said.

"We hope to advance mutual efforts to find some common ground by using our wisdom while President Medvedev is in office, and the Fukuda Cabinet will also do its best to work on it," he said at a press conference.