By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has congratulated Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin on his return to office and said that he looks forward to continued engagement and constructive dialogue.
In a telephone conversation with Putin, Rasmussen “emphasised NATO’s commitment, and his own personal commitment, to working with the president-elect to establish a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia”, the organisation said in a statement.
Rasmussen noted the successes that the NATO-Russia cooperation has produced over the last decade, especially in Afghanistan, counter-narcotics and counter-piracy.
He expressed hope that it would be possible to move forward on cooperation on missile defence, as “such cooperation would benefit both NATO and Russia”.
“President-elect Putin underlined his commitment to good, stable relations with NATO,” the statement said.
“The secretary general thanked him (Putin) for his frankness and constructive approach. The secretary general and president-elect agreed to meet bilaterally in the not too distant future,” it added.