NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday he did not rule out the possibility for Russia to join the alliance's operation in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the 46th security conference in Germany, Rasmussen said he believed Russia shared NATO's concerns over the current situation in Afghanistan. He said it would be uneasy for Russia to fight the spread of drugs produced in Afghanistan, if the southwestern country turned into a refuge for terrorists again.

Rasmussen said Russia could cooperate with NATO in Afghanistan in such areas as the training of pilots, the supply of helicopters, the training of Afghan military personnel and efforts to fight drug trafficking.

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.

MUNICH, February 7 (RIA Novosti)