"The summit can mark a new start in the relationship between Nato and Russia," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary-general.

"We will hopefully agree on a broad range of areas in which we can develop practical co-operation on Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics."

He also said that British and US troops would remain on Afghanistan's front lines for years under an open-ended agreement to be signed at the summit. Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has demanded that his forces take over the fight against the Taliban by 2014.

While his call has been embraced by Western leaders, including Prime Minister David Cameron who set a five-year deadline on the Army's combat role, Mr Rasmussen said troops would not be withdrawn immediately.

Under a blueprint drawn up by Gen David Petraeus, Nato commander in Afghanistan, foreign troops would "thin out" but not leave disputed territory.