The main purpose of President Medvedev’s June 2010 visit to the U.S. was to talk about bilateral cooperation in the hi-tech sphere.

After the June visit of President Medvedev to San Francisco and Washington, D.C., I got a call from one of our good friends, a state-level official who was running for Congress.

“I need to share with you my view on the visit of the Russian President to the United States. Some politicians in this country should look to Medvedev as a model for how to make a favorable impression on ordinary American people. I was surprised at how down-to-earth and straightforward the Russian leader was on his visit. He even joked with Governor Schwarzenegger, telling him ‘I’ll be back!’ at the end of their meeting.”  

Mike continued: “Then Medvedev and Obama went out for lunch to a simple fast-food restaurant in Virginia. Medvedev was friendly with the onlookers at the little dining place, and allowed restaurant patrons to take pictures with him. Even his hamburger selection is worthy of commendation – not every foreigner would be brave enough to order jalapenos. Medvedev also shared his French fries with Obama. Either Medvedev and Obama have very talented PR guys, or the fervor of their friendship exceeded the sincerity of the famous personal bond between Putin and Bush. This gives hope for the future of U.S.-Russia relations...”  

Political analysts agree that President Medvedev was able to project an image of a modern, progressive head of state, who can participate in a formal White House press conference and then go out to eat a hamburger at a plain fast food place. International journalists noted that Dmitry Medvedev is in the young guard of Russian politicians whose worldview is not influenced by the old bipolar stereotypes of the Cold War. The 44-year-old Russian President felt comfortable in the U.S. Indeed, headlines of major European newspapers read “Dmitry Medvedev: the Man Who Came from the West.”  

Of course, the main purpose of President Medvedev’s visit to the U.S. was to talk about bilateral cooperation in the hi-tech sphere. The Russian leader made a trip to Silicon Valley and Stanford University. Russia is planning to establish a center for high-tech innovation analogous to the American Silicon Valley in Skolkovo, Moscow region.

At the conclusion of the luncheon at Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Medvedev thanked Obama for his warm reception and hospitality. “This is a typically American place. Maybe it’s not too good for your health, but it surely is delicious. The most import thing – you feel the American spirit,” added President Medvedev.

The Russian head of state did not forget to leave a comment about his lunch with Mr. Obama in his Twitter blog. Medvedev wrote: “I have not had hamburgers for a long time.” One should also keep in mind that Medvedev began to use Twitter for the first time during the trip to America, on June 23. His page now contains all the requisite elements of a social networking blog – his daily impressions and photographs from the places he’s been to. Barack Obama noticed Medvedev’s use of Twitter and even jokingly suggested replacing the telephone hotline connecting the Kremlin and the White House with microblogs.