Is it too soon to call Russia, a nation whose leaders once vowed to "bury" us, a "friend" of the United States? Since Mr. Gorbachev tore down "that wall" for Ronald Reagan, U.S.-Russian relations have steadily warmed from occasional glances of mutual acceptance to a red-hot love-fest of dialogs, agreements and treaties. 

Russian-American Business Dialogue
A product of negotiations between the U.S.-Russia Business Council, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Russian-American Business Council, and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, this agreement represents "a business-to-business mechanism for expanding contact between the two private sectors, identifying areas where laws and regulations impede trade and investment, and providing a forum where businesses' common interests and concerns can be raised with both governments."

Russian-American Media Entrepreneurship Dialogue
Understanding that a press not controlled by the government is a new concept to Russia, this cooperative effort "to improve business conditions that can support free and independent private journalism," met for the first time in Russia in March 2002. Representatives of the U.S. press met with their Russian counterparts to discuss the state of the Russian media and possible areas of cooperation.

United States Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation's Investment Fund for Russia and Eurasia
At the recommendation of President Bush, the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) established a $100 million private equity fund for Russia and Eurasia. The OPIC assists U.S. businesses in investing in and competing with over 140 emerging world markets.

United States Government Nonproliferation/ 
Threat Reduction Assistance to Russia
Since 1992, the U.S. has spent almost $5 billion to extend nonproliferation and threat reduction assistance to Russia. The Bush administration is currently funding ($74 million) projects to help Russia eliminate its weapons-grade plutonium production. The proposes FY 2003 budget allocates over $1 billion for further threat reduction and nonproliferation programs in Russia. [Also see: Cold War: Costs of Victory]

U.S.-Russia Air Transport Agreement
This 1994 agreement paved the way for chartered and scheduled commercial air travel between the U.S. and Russia. Under the most recent extension of the agreement, the U.S. gains rights to provide scheduled air service to cities in the Far Eastern region of Russia.

United States-Russia Commercial Energy Relations
Trailing only Saudi Arabia, Russia is the world's second largest oil and gas exporter. However, their existing pipeline system limits Russia's ability to expand its energy exporting industry. In this economic development effort, U.S.-Russian partnered joint-ventures work to expand the Russian energy industry while providing lucrative new market for U.S.-made oil and gas field equipment.

U.S.-Russian People-To-People Cooperation
An active partnership program designed to "create direct linkages between citizens, cities, businesses, educational and research institutions, hospitals, and non-governmental organizations of all kinds for the purpose of promoting understanding, sharing know-how, and developing new solutions to common problems."

Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty
Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Bush, meeting in Moscow, signed an agreement to reduce the nuclear arsenals of both former Cold War adversaries by about 65 percent, to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads, by the year 2012. [See: US, Russia Agree to Reduce Nukes]

A Foundation for Cooperation
Joint Declaration: The United States of America and the Russian Federation
The U.S. and Russia, "having embarked upon the path of new relations for the twenty-first century," issued this joint declaration of agreement to cooperate on everything from politics, to economics and nuclear non-proliferation on May 24, 2002. "The era in which the United States and Russia saw each other as an enemy or strategic threat has ended," it says.