MOSCOW (July 6, 2009)--President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are launching two days of high-stakes meetings expressing confidence that they can make progress.

Obama and his Russian counterpart sat down Monday in an ornate room of the Kremlin to start the first full-scale U.S.-Russia summit since the early part of the George W. Bush presidency.

Opening their talks, Obama told reporters "the United States and Russia have more in common than they have differences."

Medvedev said the two leaders will be "closing some of the pages of the past and opening some of the pages of the future."

Just before the meetings began, the two countries announced a few minor side agreements aimed at showing results.

Mr. Obama says he trusts Medvedev to follow through on the agreements the two leaders announced at their summit in Moscow, including a preliminary deal to reduce both nations' stockpiles of nuclear warheads.

At a joint news conference Monday with the Russian leader, Mr. Obama said he's found Medvedev to be "straightforward" and "professional."

As for Tuesday's meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Mr. Obama said he understands that in the Russian government, Medvedev is the one who's in charge.

But Mr. Obama says he's looking forward to getting a "full picture" of the needs and concerns of
the Russian people.

He said it seems that Medvedev and Putin are working "very effectively" together.