Richard Gere made an unlikely appearance at a star-studded business forum in Moscow, which he described as a "city of light".

The event, on Monday, caused controversy after twin female business assistants were offered as a contest prize.

Organisers from the Synergy business school told The Telegraph that “there should not be any information about Richard Gere” in its coverage because of a condition in his contract allowing them to “invite only Russian press”.

Gere, 69, known for roles in films including Pretty Woman, was perhaps an unusual booking as the headline speaker at the Synergy Global Forum, which also featured MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, author Malcolm Gladwell, actor Steven Seagal and the human-like robot Sophia.

Tickets ranged from £175 to more than £5,000 for VIP access.

The Hollywood leading man told the crowd at Moscow's Olympic stadium largely about his acting career and Buddhist beliefs.

He called on Vladimir Putin to bring the Dalai Lama, who addressed last year's Synergy forum by video, to Russia.

At the forum, Gere also said Moscow, which was “dark and repressive” when he first visited in 1989, was now a “city of light” that “feels like it's a part of Europe”. But Russians should remember that “we're all in the same boat,” rather than try to be the strongest or most important, he added.