The US and Russia have signed two agreements to enhance their military ties. Gates hosted his Russian counterpart Anatoliy Serdyukov at the Pentagon headquarters of the Defence Department. Gates and Serdyukov signed a Memorandum of Understandings outlining the military relationship that places defence cooperation as a cornerstone of broader relations. Gates said, superseding the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding, it underscores that defence cooperation is an important element of strengthening the wider US-Russian relationship, especially now, when the two countries confront many similar security threats and challenges. They also signed an agreement creating a defence relations working group that is to resolve issues in armed forces reform and transformation, defence policy priorities and national security, transparency and confidence-building and regional and global security.