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    December 17, 2011

Obama, Medvedev Discuss Russian Elections

   VOA News
   US President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the White House Oval
   Office (file photo).
   Photo: Reuters
   US President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the White House Oval
   Office (file photo).

   U.S. President Barack Obama has raised questions about Russia's
   disputed parliamentary elections in a phone call with President Dmitry
   Medvedev.
   The White House said in a statement Friday that President Obama noted
   reports of flaws in the way the elections were conducted, but welcomed
   Medvedev's commitment to investigate the allegations.
   Obama also praised the response of Russian authorities to allow
   demonstrations against the elections to take place.
   Russian police reported 20,000 people took to the streets of Moscow
   last Saturday, and thousands more rallied in other cities across
   Russia, protesting alleged fraud in parliamentary elections won by
   Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party. Putin is
   running in the presidential election in March.
   President Obama said the protests are an expression of civil society
   that is consistent with Medvedev's goal of modernizing Russia.
   Separately, the White House said that during the telephone call, Obama
   also congratulated Russia on receiving an invitation to join the World
   Trade Organization. The statement said both presidents hailed this
   achievement as yet another result of the reset in bilateral relations,
   and as one that will benefit both the U.S. and Russia.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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