Opening the North Atlantic Council meeting, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington and their aftermath had "expanded our conceptions of the world's possibilities."

"Perhaps the most striking instance of this lies in our relationship with Russia," Lord Robertson said.

"Acting together, NATO and Russia have an opportunity now to change deeply embedded historical patterns," he said. "This is a chance that must be seized."

The NATO defense ministers' Permanent Joint Council (PJC) meeting with Ivanov follows a NATO foreign ministers' conclave on December 6-7 that decided to upgrade the Alliance's relations with its former Cold War adversary.

They agreed to replace the PJC -- set up in 1997 but little more than a talking shop -- by next May with a new body in which NATO and Russia will be able to take joint positions on issues of common interest.

Upgrading ties is seen as a reward to Russia for its staunch support for the coalition against global terrorism that the Bush administration put together in reaction to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Though it disappointed Moscow, last week's announcement by President George W. Bush that the United States would pull out of the ABM treaty to develop and deploy a next-generation missile defense system was not being seen at NATO as an impediment to warmer relations.

In fact, the two sides were to discuss Tuesday a proposal for NATO to open a military liaision office in the Russian capital.

On Monday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- who was earlier in the southern Caucasus region, and briefly in Afghanistan on Sunday -- met for two hours with Ivanov, US officials said.

Rumsfeld was at Bush's side for last Thursday's White House announcement, saying he intended to talk to Ivanov in Brussels about "a framework that can replace the treaty."

Bush said the ABM treaty "hinders our government's ability to develop ways to protect our people from future terrorist or rogue state missile attacks."

The pullout will be effective next summer after the treaty's requisite six-month withdrawal notice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Bush informed of the pullout in advance, was not happy, calling the decision an "erroneous" one that risked triggering another Cold War-style arms race.

European countries, many of which have reservations about the missile shield project, have also expressed fears of another arms race but have been prudent in their reactions to the US withdrawal, seeing it as primarily a US-Russian problem.

Javier Solana, EU high representative for security and foreign policy, said the Europeans should take advantage of the US pullout to strengthen their ties with Russia.

Washington also got some public support for the move.

Long-time ally Britain said the ABM treaty no longer corresponded to today's world, and the Czech Republic expressed "understanding" for the American decision.

Preparations for a multi-national force in Afghanistan were also expected to be on the NATO agenda on Tuesday, despite the fact they don't concern the Alliance as an institution.

The force, probably to be led by Britain, will include troops from several NATO countries.

Meanwhile, China and Russia have held "intensive" talks on US plans to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the countries will continue close links on the issue, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

"Both sides held a wide and intensive exchange of views on the present international security situation and the major issues on disarmament and the arms control field," foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said of Monday's talks in Moscow.

"Both sides stressed that under the present situation the maintenance of the arms control and disarmament regime and the global strategic balance is of crucial importance to world peace and security."

The talks between China's Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya and Russian counterpart Georgy Mamedov follow the announcement by US President George Bush late last week that the US would withdraw from the ABM treaty.

The US will now proceed with the construction of a national missile shield, outlawed under the terms of the Cold War accord.

China and Russia have consistently voiced opposition to the US missile defence plans, which they say could spark a new arms race, and at Monday's talks pledged to continue cooperation on the matter now US withdrawal from the ABM treaty has been confirmed.

"Both sides agreed to maintain consultations and cooperation on this question," said Zhang.

"Both sides have a consensus and common understanding on the US plan to develop NMD (National Missile Defense), so we hope the US side can heed the opinion of the majority of countries and exercise prudence," she added.

During the talks, China and Russia agreed arms control had to be enforced, the Russian foreign ministry said Monday.

"The sides underlined the imperative need, under current conditions, to preserve a system of control over disarmament and global security, which is the obligation of the international community," the statement said.

The Sino-Russian talks occurred on the same day as a visiting US arms control official briefed the Chinese government in Beijing about the decision to withdraw from the ABM treaty.

"In the discussion the Chinese side reaffirmed its principled stand on the question of missile defense, stressed the importance of the safeguarding of the international disarmament and arms control regime and the global strategic balance under the present situation," Zhang said of the meeting.

The United States on Monday described talks, between Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Avis Bohlen and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Qiao Zonghuai, "productive," emphasizing they would continue.

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