Washington  - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has agreed to stay in the job for at least one year of president-elect Barack Obama's administration, ABC News and Politico reported Tuesday, citing unnamed officials.

With Gates staying at the helm, Obama keeps in place a key architect of the troop buildup in Iraq that contributed to the sharp decrease in violence during the past 15 months. It will also help Obama fulfill a pledge to have a bipartisan cabinet.

Gates is a registered independent but has served in numerous Republican administrations. He replaced Donald Rumsfeld as Pentagon chief in December 2006.

Obama has spent this week announcing his economic team, and is next week expected to present his national security and foreign policy appointments. (dpa)