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Sometimes official occasions cannot disguise feelings. When President Obama and President Medvedev were offered the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to sign they bent over the documents in silence. Then the American leader made an aside and his Russian counterpart smiled. A moment later he quipped something and both leaders cracked into broad smiles. Even those of us in the Spanish hall inside Prague Castle laughed too. It was an infectious moment.

And it did not stop there. Barack Obama referred to Dmitry as "his friend and partner". The Russian leader purred "colleague". He said there was a "new quality" to the American-Russian relationship. They had established a "very good personal relationship" and there was a "personal chemistry" that had helped with the agreement. The frequent phone calls between the two leaders had unquestionably swept aside differences and misunderstandings.

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev developed a hard-earned respect for each other but it is a long, long time since Russia and America had leaders who actually liked each other.

The new relationship, however, will be tested and soon. America is now pushing hard for sanctions against Iran. President Obama expects strong, meaningful sanctions against Tehran in weeks. He also expects Russian support. President Medvedev said today he would "consider" sanctions. If he backs them he will remain a reluctant convert.

"If we are to speak about sanctions, although they are not always successful," he said, "those sanctions should be smart sanctions that are capable of producing proper behaviour on the part of relevant sides." "Smart" in the Russian view means not hurting the Iranian people and the Americans go along with that.

But one American reporter asked the Russian president a very specific question: "Could Russia accept sanctions relating to Iran's energy industry and energy sector?"

And that went to the heart of the matter because Russia has extensive business links with Iran's oil and nuclear industries. President Medvedev declined to answer the question but, later, revealingly when talking of sanctions, spoke of the importance of "maintaining the national interests of our countries". Moscow recognises that the international community cannot continue allowing Iran to snub its requests but it is unclear whether the Russian leader would back sanctions that would bite and also harm Russia's economic interests.

And then there is the matter of "missile defence". Moscow is acutely sensitive to any missile defence system that could undermine its nuclear capability.
Indeed it has made clear that were the United States to deploy such a system it could threaten the new Start treaty. Now Washington has not given up
on a defence system that could protect it and its allies from nations like Iran.

The Russian leader allowed for the fact that there may be disagreements in the future but he said the "will" and the "wish" existed to address these issues. The Russians are interested in a global anti-missile system and remain uneasy at any move by the United States that might involve new radar or missile systems based in Eastern Europe.

So, even in difficult areas, hints of co-operation but - as always in new relationships - the tests lie ahead.

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