Russia will join economic sanctions against Iran, Interfax news agency quoted a decree from the new President, Dmitry Medvedev, as saying on Thursday. It was unclear from the report which sanctions the decree referred to.

A Kremlin spokesman refused immediate comment.

The UN-backed sanctions against Iran are over its nuclear program, which some Western nations suspect to be aimed at producing nuclear arms.

Medvedev took over as the president of Russia yesterday from Vladimir Putin, who is set to be nominated as the prime minister.

Meanwhile, US President George W Bush expects to have a good relationship with new Russian president, despite many of the same disagreements over Moscow's foreign policy, aides said.

"He looks forward to working with him and wishes him the best on his new position," said spokeswoman Dana Perino as Medvedev became Russia's third president since the Soviet Union's fall, taking over from Vladimir Putin.

"If we have good relations, as the president has had with President Putin, that allows you the ability to speak very frankly when we have concerns when it comes to democracy and human rights," she said.

Bush's national security advisor Stephen Hadley said the United States anticipates Russia's foreign policy will remain the same and reiterated Washington's concern with Russia's involvement in breakaway regions of neighboring Georgia.