13:40 GMT, July 7, 2009 NOVO-OGARYOVO | U.S. President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday to consider Russia's concerns on missile defense and to respect Moscow's interests in the post-Soviet space, a senior Russian government official said according to Russia's press agency RIA Novosti.

"Obama said Russia's concerns would be given more consideration when discussing [missile defense plans]," said Yury Ushakov, a deputy chief of staff at the Russian government.

Obama has shown less interest than President George Bush in opening a missile interceptor base in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic, which Moscow fiercely opposes as a security threat.

According to Ushakov, Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin discussed the former Soviet republics, including Georgia and Ukraine.

"President Obama pledged to consider the regional significance of these countries for us," Ushakov said.

On Ukraine, Putin told Obama about Russia's policy towards and its opinion of the developments in the neighboring country, which are important to Moscow, and also gave Russia's view on the August 2008 military conflict with Georgia over South Ossetia, Ushakov reported.

Citing Putin, Ushakov said the major problem had been that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had misinterpreted U.S. support for his plans.

During talks with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, Obama urged Russia to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. If even as we work through our disagreements on Georgia's course, we do agree that no one has interest in renewed military conflict," Obama said at a joint news conference with Medvedev after their talks.

Speaking about Russia-U.S. cooperation on North Korea, Obama described it as very productive, Ushakov said.

According to the Russian government official, Obama also praised Russia's role in solving Iran's nuclear problem and said that "the United States was interested in Russia remaining in the same boat as the Americans and more close cooperation."


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