Russia and NATO reaffirmed plans to step up cooperation following a freeze in relations, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen met on Saturday on the sidelines of the security conference underway in Munich pledging "to develop political dialogue and practical cooperation within the Russia-NATO Council," the ministry said.
The ministry said they discussed the situation in Afghanistan and other regional and international issues.
Rasmussen took over at the Western military bloc last year pledging to improve ties with Moscow, which were frozen after Russia's five-day war with Georgia in 2008. Russia and the bloc have since resumed formal contacts.
Russia has allowed land transits of non-lethal NATO supplies to Afghanistan and promised more assistance in the bloc's operations in the war-torn country by expanding transits, supplying helicopters and training Afghan security forces.
Setting out Russia's concept of a new European security pact at the conference attended by top world defense officials, diplomats and politicians earlier on Saturday, Lavrov raised concerns about NATO's further expansion, saying new NATO bases in Europe will hardly contribute to regional security.
MOSCOW, February 6 (RIA Novosti)
