Medvedev, Obama Discussing Missile Defense, Syria

SEOUL, March 26 (RIA Novosti)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama are meeting on the sidelines of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, which opens on Monday, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The two-day summit in the South Korean capital will focus on international measures to protect nuclear materials and facilities from terrorism threats. The heads of 40 countries are expected to attend.

Medvedev and Obama are expected to discuss missile defense issues, other aspects of bilateral cooperation and the situation in Syria. The meeting is expected to last two hours.

Negotiations between Russia and NATO member states on the U.S.-led missile defense project have deadlocked over the West's reluctance to give Moscow legally binding guarantees that the shield will not be used against it.

The United States says the shield is designed to protect against “rogue states” such as Iran and North Korea, but Russia is concerned it could eventually be used to neutralize its own nuclear deterrent.

Last month, Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution on Syria, sparking international condemnation. Russia said the document was "unbalanced," and China said it would not help end the violence. More than 8,000 people have been killed in Syria since protests against President Bashar al-Assad began a year ago.