WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton yesterday played down tensions with Russia  over Georgia, saying they would not cloud arms control talks  and Washington wanted ties with Moscow to hit a new level.

At a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei  Lavrov, Clinton said “people in families disagree” and she did  not want to dwell on differences over Georgia’s or Russia’s  strong opposition to NATO military exercises there this week.

“It is old thinking to say that we have a disagreement in  one area, therefore we shouldn’t work in something else that is  of overwhelming importance. That is just not the way we think,”  she said.
“We want to normalize the relationship and raise it to a  new level.”

Lavrov described their meeting as productive and agreed  disputes must not poison ongoing arms control negotiations.

“The task of further reductions of strategic offensive  weapons is too important, both for Russia and the United  States, and for the entire world, in fact, to make it hostage  of any particular regime anywhere,” he said.
Russia briefly invaded Georgia last summer and tensions  flared again this week when Georgia accused Russia of being  behind a failed mutiny at a military base.

Clinton said the two discussed Georgia in their meeting,  which is aimed at laying the groundwork for a July summit  between President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev.

“I believe that Minister Lavrov as well as the Russian  government recognize that stability and a peaceful resolution  to the tensions in Georgia is in everyone’s interest.”