Moscow/St Petersburg  - The president of tiny Moldova was the first to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a high profile summit in St Petersburg and promising a baffling gift Friday.

Two paintings stolen from the Hermitage Museum in Medvedev's native St Petersburg, he said, were found in Moldova and will soon be returned.

But Hermitage officials were at a loss for which paintings they were and how they ended up in Moldova.

"Today we have an opportunity to exchange information about how bilateral cooperation is developed. There are issues that always come up," Medvedev was shown welcoming the Moldovan leader on Russian television Friday.

But he was surprised when President Vladimir Voronin answered: "I came to St Petersburg with good news ... three days ago we confiscated two paintings that were stolen from the Hermitage in 2006."

Voronin said the find wrapped up year and a half long investigation, but did not identify the paintings or say how they were recovered.

Officials at Russia's main cultural watchdog Friday said they had no idea.

"As they did not send us images of the paintings and did not apply for a verification in line with world practice, we have today sent inquiries to the Moldavian law enforcement authorities.

"We are also trying to reach them by phone," Anatoly Vilkov, the deputy head of the federal agency of culture told Interfax news agency Friday. (dpa)