Visiting U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, agreed there had been "certain progress" in military cooperation between their countries, local media reported Tuesday.
"Since the end of the Cold War, there have been some periodic problems, but overall the direction of the relationship has been towards closer partnership, closer working together," Gates said, as quoted by the Interfax news agency.
"The progress has been marked, first of all, bilaterally by our ratification of the new START treaty and internationally by our cooperation together on U.N. Security Council resolutions with respect to both Korea (DPRK) and Iran," Gates said.
Gates stressed the strategic and tactic nuclear missiles stocks of both countries must be reduced further.
Serdyukov said cooperation on missile defence between Russia and the United States was beneficial for both parties.
"We are pleased to note that certain progress has been made in these areas," Serdyukov said after the meeting.
The two ministers also discussed the situation in Libya. Serdyukov urged the western coalition forces to stop "unacceptable hostilities" there as soon as possible, while Gates said military operations in Libya "should recede in the next few days."
They also agreed on many issues related to the situation in Afghanistan.
"We see eye to eye on many issues related to Afghanistan. Russia is interested in the region's stabilization and in the success of the coalition forces," Serdyukov said.
Gates is on a three-day trip to Russia, which might be his last visit here.