MUNICH, February 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia must be included in European security structures, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday at the 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy

Merkel said it was in the general interest to involve Russia in Europe's future security structures, adding that attention should be paid to the initiative of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on discussing a new security set up for the continent.

Relations with Russia play a key role in European security as Russia is a part of Europe, Merkel said.

She added that the new NATO security approach should be all-encompassing.