Moscow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Barack Obama and Dimitri Medvedev has agreed to reduce the number of nuclear warheads stored over recent years. Although the reduction is of little account, Obama's visit to Russia is a small sign of thaw in the search for common interests. "As two leading nuclear powers - Obama said yesterday - the United States and Russia must lead by example and this is what we are doing."

Among the agreements signed yesterday, there is the decision to negotiate a new control treaty, to replace the Start I signed on 1991 which expires in December next year. The new agreement provides for a possible reduction of nuclear warheads below the 1700 in the next 7 years and a system of mutual checks.

Experts point out that even with the announced reduction, Russia and the U.S. have enough warheads still stockpiled to be able to destroy each other many times over.

Another important agreement reached yesterday was permission for U.S. troops and equipment to fly in via Russians to Afghanistan thus avoiding Pakistan, infested by Islamic militants.

Today Obama met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and spoke at the New School of Economics in Moscow, in front of hundreds of university students.

Relations between Moscow and Washington seem to be improving in some areas. But differences remain on the evaluation of issues such as Iran and the controversial NATO missile defence system  in Eastern Europe.