Clinton concerned over Russian post-vote arrests

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced concern Wednesday about the arrest of protesters after Russias weekend elections but said Washington looks forward to working with Vladimir Putin.Clinton clearly acknowledged Putins presidential election victory when she named him in her remarks, even as she repeated US calls for reported voting irregularities to be investigated.There were a number of concerns about this latest electoral process that should be investigated and addressed, the chief US diplomat said during a brief press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.The State Department had a more subdued response on Monday, when Clintons spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Russia to conduct an independent, credible probe of the election results. She said Washington looked forward to working with the president-elect, without naming Putin.We also remain concerned about the arrest of peaceful protesters, which occurred again on Monday, Clinton said after hundreds of protesters were detained and later released.But the election had a clear winner and we are ready to work with president-elect Putin as he is sworn in and assumes the responsibilities of the presidency.The chief US diplomat said the United States was seeking to enhance cooperation on a range of difficult issues, including Syria, adding that she would meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday in New York.We continue to believe that Russia should join the international community and play a positive role in trying to end the bloodshed and help create the conditions for a peaceful, democratic transition, Clinton said.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Russia believes that a new UN Security Council resolution on Syria reportedly being drafted in New York by the United States is unbalanced.