Munich - The West should take Russian proposals for a new security system in Europe seriously, the European Union's top diplomat told the prestigious Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's call for a new security treaty in Europe "deserves to be taken seriously" and Europe and the United States "should engage in this discussion," EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana told some 350 top politicians.

Medvedev launched the call for an international treaty aimed at outlawing the use of force "from Vancouver to Vladivostok" in June.

Munich - The European Union and NATO are threatened by internal feuds in the current economic crisis and must work together to strengthen their military and energy security, the holder of the EU's rotating presidency said Saturday.

"Our unity and strength are seriously challenged by the current financial crisis and recession ... The EU needs to speak with one voice, this regards not only security and defence but other issues like energy," Czech deputy premier Alexandr Vondra told the prestigious Munich Security Conference.

Sydney - A private concert by ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was entirely believable, the band's Australian co-founder said Saturday.

"We've played private gigs for Rowan Atkinson, we did Russell Crowe's wedding, we've done a show for Bill Gates where we played Money, Money, Money," John Tyrrell told the The Australian newspaper.

The Kremlin has denied reports that the London-based Bjorn Again foursome was flown to Russia to perform for Putin.

Munich  - Tanks, guns and nuclear warheads were set to top the agenda Friday as world leaders headed to the German city of Munich to attend the city's prestigious annual security conference.

Diplomats including German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian Deputy Premier Sergey Ivanov and Iran's speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, were set to debate Iran's nuclear programme, Russia's withdrawal from a key arms-control treaty and the future for nuclear-arms talks between Russia and the United States.

The conference comes just two weeks after the inauguration of US President Barack Obama raised hopes that the US would be willing to hold talks with both Moscow and Tehran on disarmament issues.

Moscow- The Kremlin-controlled Russian gas firm Gazprom announced Friday it was to reduce gas prices to Europe.

This year the average price paid by European energy firms will go from 409 to 280 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, according to the Interfax news agency, citing a company official.

Gas prices are closely tied to the oil price, which since last summer has plummeted by almost three-quarters to around 40 dollars a barrel.

London - Global attitudes towards Russia and China have changed for the worse over the past year as positive ratings for the US are on the rise for the first time since 2005, a poll published by the BBC World Service showed Friday.

As in previous years, Germany fared best in the poll, with every country viewing it positively, and 61 per cent of people rating it favourably, up from 55 per cent a year ago.