Mr Ivanov: building a basis

"I think this could become a good basis for talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States," Mr Ivanov said, referring to the two presidents' meeting.

Mr Rumsfeld met Mr Ivanov and Mr Putin on the first stage of a five-nation tour to seek support and co-operation for the US military campaign in Afghanistan.

From Moscow he is flying on to Uzbekistan, where United States soldiers are based, and then to Tajikistan, Pakistan and India.

Arms control

Talks between Mr Rumsfeld and Mr Ivanov centred on the two countries' co-operation in the military offensive, and also the question of arms control.

Correspondents said the two men were trying to smooth the way for an agreement by the two presidents on reducing the number of US and Russian missiles.

Nuclear arms cuts and the dispute over the future of the 1972 ABM treaty are expected to dominate the presidential summit.

Negotiators have so far made more progress on weapons cutbacks than the controversial missile defence issue, US officials have said.

The ABM treaty, negotiated between the US and former Soviet Union, bans nationwide missile defences on the premise that neither country would strike first without protection from retaliation - the underlying principle of the Cold War.

President Bush wants to scrap the treaty and implement a new missile defence system, while President Putin is pushing for a reduction in inter-ballistic missiles on both sides.

Shoring up support

After Russia, Mr Rumsfeld will fly on to Uzbekistan, where the US 10th Mountain Division is currently based.

The agreement to station US troops in Uzbekistan came during his visit there in October; their role is officially limited to search-and-rescue operations.

He will then visit the three other countries briefly to try to persuade them to continue their support for the campaign against the Taleban and Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.

Mr Rumsfeld is scheduled to return to Washington on Monday night.