MUNICH, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - NATO needs Russia as a partner to promote stability, the German defense minister said Saturday. Franz Josef Jung said the alliance needed Russia as a partner to support its active efforts to ensure stability in southeast Europe and the Caucasus. "Since we want to expand the area of stability, we should act very carefully," he said.

He also said this issue would be discussed at a NATO summit in Riga this fall.