U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Tuesday downplayed Russia’s recent “military outreach” in Latin America, saying U.S.-Russian cooperation on missile defense is possible.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the Capitol Hill in Washington Jan, 27, 2009.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said the best U.S. response to recent Russian ship visits to Venezuela was “nonchalance,” apparently rejecting the notion that the Russian move is aimed to “project power in the U.S. backyard.”

Gates even said he would have invited Russian ships to dock in Miami, Florida, enroute to Venezuela, if the Russia-Georgia conflict hadn’t erupted last year.

He said he had sensed a willingness from the Russian side that there is potential for bilateral cooperation on some issues, including the thorny issue of missile defense.

What really alerted him, Gates said, is Iran’s activities in Latin America, while alleging Iran tries to “establish ties with left-leaning Latin American leaders.”

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet