A senior US diplomat held talks with Russian officials yesterday, the State Department said, following up on a promise by Vice President Joe Biden last week to hit the "reset button" in ties with Moscow.

US Undersecretary of State William Burns, an ambassador in Russia until last year, arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss a broad range of issues with officials in Moscow, said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

"There are a lot of issues we need to work out with Moscow," said Mr Wood.

On the agenda was nuclear arms reduction, stabilising Afghanistan and a dispute with Moscow's ally Kyrgyzstan over its plans to close the Manas military base.

The United States wants to ascertain Russia's involvement in Kyrgyzstan's threat to evict US forces from Manas, an important staging post for US-led operations in Afghanistan. The announcement was made in Moscow after Kyrgyzstan secured more than $2 billion in Russian aid and credit.

Mr Wood said he did not have details of Mr Burns's talks in Moscow or who he met with but that he expected the Manas issue to be raised.

Mr Wood said the State Department had still not received any official notification of plans to shutter the base. The United States says negotiations are still continuing and has expressed hope Kyrgyzstan may still change its mind.

On Wednesday Russia said it may offer its military aircraft to help with supplies going into Afghanistan, given the Kremlin views the country as one where Russian interests coincide with those of the United States.