US President Barack Obama assured Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday that getting the Senate to ratify the START nuclear weapons treaty is a “top priority” of his administration.

“I reiterated my commitment to getting the START treaty done during the lame-duck session,” Obama told reporters following talks with Medvedev on the sidelines of the summit of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Yokohama, Japan.

Obama also reiterated his support for bringing Russia into the World Trade Organization, labeling Moscow “an excellent partner.”