By Sue Pleming WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday she hoped to have a "more constructive" relationship with Russia, particularly in dealing with Iran's nuclear ambitions. U.S. relations with Russia have frayed in recent years over issues ranging from U.S. plans to build a missile shield in Eastern Europe to Russia's brief war in Georgia last summer. "We intend to forge a more constructive relationship," Clinton said of Russia, adding that Washington would seek to include Moscow as a "cooperative partner" on issues such as Iran. Russia has worked with the United States and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council as well as Germany to pressure Iran over its refusal to give up sensitive nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at building a bomb. Tehran says it is for peaceful power generation. Moscow signed on to three rounds of U.N. sanctions against Iran but has balked at more punitive measures, resistance seen in part as a reflection of broader Russian discontent over its ties with Washington. Clinton spoke on the same day as Russia's state nuclear corporation chief announced that Russia planned to start up a nuclear reactor at Iran's Bushehr plant by the end of the year. She declined to comment on Russia's involvement in Iran's first nuclear power plant. Moscow says Bushehr is purely civilian and cannot be used for any weapons program. President Barack Obama spoke to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week and the two agreed on the need to stop a "drift" in bilateral relations, the White House said after the call. While Clinton spoke of closer ties, U.S. officials complain of an unhelpful role being played by Russia in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, which has threatened to close a U.S. air base on its territory that is used to airlift U.S. troops into Afghanistan. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced closure of the Manas base while he was in Moscow on Tuesday after securing financial aid from Russia, Kyrgyzstan's traditional ally. Clinton did not touch on Russia's possible role, telling reporters the Kyrgyz government's moves were regrettable and she hoped it would be resolved. "It was not lost on us when Bakiyev said this on Russian television. I am not sure what the Russians are up to," said a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Kyrgyzstan's parliament is set to vote next week on whether to shut the U.S. air base. (Editing by Xavier Briand)
A Lebanese journalist holds an anti-Israel placard during a protest in front of the Al Jazeera TV office in Beirut February 5, 2009, against the Israeli seizure of a freighter trying ...
