WASHINGTON - OMITTING customary congratulations, US President George W. Bush told Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday that he hopes they forge a 'close working relationship,' the White House said.

'President Bush told Mr Medvedev that he looks forward to working with him and that he hopes the two can establish a close working relationship that will help them deal with important world issues,' said spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

In their telephone conversation, Mr Bush also alluded to international worries about the fairness of Russia's elections, as well as concerns that democratic reforms are in retreat in Moscow under outgoing President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Bush also 'wished president-elect Mr Medvedev and his family all the best in the lead up to his inauguration in May,' said Mr Johndroe.

The statement, like previous US reactions to the vote, made no mention of US congratulations to Mr Medvedev, Mr Putin's hand-picked successor.

Asked whether the omission served a diplomatic purpose, chief Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino replied 'I don't know of any purpose, necessarily' but went on to link it to concerns about democracy in Russia.

'I'm not going to get into the word game about congratulations or not congratulations. Our position about the Russian elections leading up to it have been well-known, and our concerns were expressed from the beginning,' she said.

'We don't believe that Russia, going forward, should have anything to fear about having multi-party elections, more free speech, more access for media, and a free press,' said Ms Perino.

But, in a revelatory moment, she also bit back the word 'congratulations,' telling reporters that Mr Bush 'did what he routinely does with lots of presidents-elect around the world, which is call to con- - to say thank you for taking my call, and I look forward to working with you,' she said.

Mr Bush for weeks has openly doubted whether Mr Putin, who is due to become prime minister when Mr Medvedev is sworn in in May, will truly give up power.

On Monday, Mr Johndroe had said that Mr Bush 'looks forward to working with' Mr Medvedev, citing efforts to battle terrorism, transnational crime, and the spread of dangerous weapons as key issues for cooperation.

Many have expressed hope that Mr Medvedev - who at 42 is 13 years younger than Putin and unlike him has no past in the Soviet KGB spy service - will at least give the hawkish Kremlin a softer face.

But the thaw seemed more distant on Tuesday after the state-run natural gas monopoly Gazprom, which Mr Medvedev chairs, announced it was cutting off half of neighbouring Ukraine's gas supplies because of unpaid debts. -- AFP

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