MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday praised as 'correct and brave' the US decision to shelve its planned Eastern European missile shield.

'The last decision by US President Barack Obama, which cancelled the plans to build missile defence facilities in Eastern Europe, brings us good thoughts,' Putin said in televised remarks.

'And I hope very much that this correct and brave decision will be followed by others,' he added, speaking at an an investment forum in Russia's southern city of Sochi.

Putin said that the shift, announced by US President Barack Obama, should be followed by other measures from Washington to lift Soviet-era restrictions on the import of high technology to Russia and to help its WTO membership bid.

He called for the 'full elimination of all restrictions on cooperation with Russia' and the expansion of the World Trade Organization to include Russia and its ex-Soviet allies Belarus and Kazakhstan.