President Barack Obama welcomed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the White House Thursday, for talks focused on increasing economic ties between the countries.

After several hours of meetings, Obama said the two have "succeeded in resetting" the relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Obama made the case for Russia joining the World Trade Organization and also welcomed Medvedev's vision for a second Silicon Valley in Moscow.

"Russia belongs in the WTO," Obama said as the two leaders stood side-by-side in the East Room.

Although the leaders did not agree on every issue -- like Moscow's tensions with neighboring Georgia -- Obama said they "addressed those differences candidly."

The two even made an impromptu lunch trip to a popular hamburger spot in northern Virginia, where they rolled up their sleeves, ate cheeseburgers and shared an order of fries.

To questions about the war in Afghanistan, Medvedev said he supports the U.S. effort if it can result in Afghanistan gaining "an effective state and a modern economy."

"This is the path to guarantee that the gravest scenarios of the last time will not repeat," the Russian president said.

Obama added that the two agreed to coordinate on humanitarian aid for Kyrgyzstan, where violence has left about 2,000 people dead and 400,000 homeless.