Global General

Russia, NATO pledge to cement ties

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-07 09:26
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MOSCOW: Russia and NATO reiterated their willingness to strengthen cooperation as both sides have seen a thaw in ties, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen met on Saturday on the sidelines of a major security conference in the German city of Munich.

They vowed "to develop political dialogue and practical cooperation within the Russia-NATO Council," the ministry said, adding that they also discussed the situation in Afghanistan as well as other regional and international issues.

Russia-NATO relations sunk to a Cold War-style chill following a brief war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

But ties between NATO and Moscow have improved significantly in recent months. In a sign that their relations have returned to the pre-conflict level, Russia and NATO resumed contacts within the Russia-NATO Council early December.