U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States and Russia are determined to move into a “very deep, growing relationship.”

In an interview with the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, Clinton said the two countries have an opportunity in a “very complex world” to provide leadership in ways that prior generations could not imagine.

She said the next step for the U.S. and Russia is to keep building trust, understanding and confidence at all levels.

Secretary Clinton also said U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, have been emphasizing the importance of bilateral and business-to-business relations.

She said the two countries have found ways to cooperate on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty , on the Iranian nuclear controversy, on Afghanistan, and on counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts.