US urges Russia take part in international missions

Mar 21, 2011, 14:08 GMT

Moscow - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Monday said Russia ought to take part in more international coalitions during a visit to St Petersburg, the news agency Interfax reported.

Given the world's current military situation, Russia should consider what place it wanted to keep in international alliances, Gates told a group of students at St Petersburg's naval academy.

In the past years Russia has taken part in missions to Kosovo and most recently to Chad and the Central African Republic.

Russia, China and the United States must work together to put pressure on states such as Iran in order to prevent them producing weapons of mass destruction, Gates said.

On Tuesday Gates is due to discuss the US' planned missile defence system in Europe with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov.

During his likely last visit to Russia in the job - he has said he will step down at the end of the year due to his age - the secretary is also due to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev.

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