Article Posted on : - Sep 16, 2010

A file photo

WASHINGTON (BNS): Russia and US Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost military cooperation between the countries, a media report said.

The MoU was signed by the Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates to replace an outdated 1993 accord.

They also signed an agreement creating a defence relations working group, which will meet every year to resolve issues in armed forces reform and transformation, defence policy priorities and national security, transparency and confidence-building, and regional and global security.

“Deeper US-Russian military cooperation was an important element strengthening ties between the countries,” RIA Novosti quoted US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as saying.

"We have discussed a wide range of issues concerning global and regional security. [We] considered in details issues related to air defence, including our and US proposals in this sphere," he said

According to the report, Gates is also in favour of allowing large-scale reforms in the two countries' armies.

“These reforms were "painful," but "absolutely necessary for the creation of a modern Army, the Army of the 21st century,” Russian defence minister said during his two-day visit to Washington.

According to US officials and analysts, two sides discussed on a range of issues in the meeting related to the implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and the US missile defence system in Europe.

The discussion also included the war in Afghanistan, arms control and Iran's nuclear programme, the situation in the Middle East, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Gates and Serdyukov were also expected to discuss on the ratification of the new Russian-US ‘Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty’ (START).