Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov appeared upbeat today after the first round of talks with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld focused on the military campaign in Afghanistan and Washington's missile defence plans.
Co-operation between our countries in fighting terrorism has predictably grown as well as co-operation in non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a defence ministry spokesman quoted Mr Ivanov as saying after a one-to-one meeting with Mr Rumsfeld.
"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 planned summit between Mr Vladimir Putin and Mr George W. Bush on November 13th-15th.
Mr Rumsfeld's brief visit to Moscow is the first leg of his tour of five countries also including three of Afghanistan's neighbours - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan - and India.
After talks with Mr Ivanov, Mr Rumsfeld went to the Kremlin to meet Mr Putin. He was due to leave Moscow later today.
Moscow has backed the US military campaign in Afghanistan.
Moscow has also encouraged its Central Asian allies to back the US military effort. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and another Afghan neighbour Turkmenistan have pledged airspace and bases for US search-and-rescue and humanitarian operations.
Russia's RIA news agency said Mr Rumsfeld could visit Khanabad air base in Uzbekistan, where more than 1,000 US troops are now based.