U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held talks with visiting Russian National Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev at the Pentagon on Tuesday, with their discussion focusing on bilateral and international issues, a Defense Department press release said.
"Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Russian Federation Security Council Secretary-General Nikolai Patrushev today at the Pentagon to discuss a range of issues including missile defense, increasing military to military cooperation and the ongoing crisis in Syria," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little was quoted as saying in the press release.
"Secretary Hagel looks forward to continued dialogue with Russian security leaders and meeting with his counterpart, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in the future," Little added.
Patrushev is currently on an official visit to the United States. Earlier, Russian media reports had indicated that Patrushev will hand over a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to U.S. President Barack Obama in person when they meet during the course of his ongoing U.S. trip.
According to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, Putin's letter is in "response to Obama's message that U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon brought to Moscow a month ago."
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