Russia-NATO ties must work, not just exist on paper - Medvedev
MOSCOW, February 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia wants its relations with NATO to be effective and mutually beneficial, rather than merely existing on paper, the Russian president said on Thursday.
Russia`s relations with NATO have deteriorated over the military alliance`s ongoing eastward expansion and more recently its condemnation of Russian military intervention in Georgia following an attack on South Ossetia by Georgian forces last August.
"We should proceed from the fact that Russia is interested in full-fledged, competent and mutually beneficial relations with NATO, relations that are not aimed against any third countries... relations that are effective, and not just on paper," Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin.
Rogozin told the president that links between Russia and NATO had only been improved by the crisis in relations that followed last August`s events in the Caucasus.
"There are no more scholastic and empty discussions in our relations and more interest in detailed political dialogue, in expansion of contacts and areas for cooperation," Rogozin said.
He added that NATO had also expressed serious interest in drafting a pan-European security pact.
Medvedev first proposed in early June that a new European security treaty be drawn up at a pan-European conference.
At the time Medvedev said that any new security arrangements should be based on "pure" national interests, not skewed by ideological motives, adding that "organizations operating in the Euro-Atlantic region" should also be allowed to join.
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