Updated 7:04 p.m. Moscow Time
BRUSSELS, October 1 (RIA Novosti) - NATO aspires to build a constructive relationship with Russia and does not seek confrontation with Moscow, new NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday.
"There is no contradiction between strong NATO and our continuing efforts to build constructive relationship with Russia. Only strong NATO could build such relations for the benefit of Euro-Atlantic security," Stoltenberg said at his first news conference as NATO chief.
"We have to see that Russia changes its behavior and its actions, and return to compliance with international law and with its international obligations," Stoltenberg said. "But we still aspire, as we have done for many years, for a constructive and a cooperative relationship with Russia," he noted.
"We continue to have political contact through political channels even if we remain and continue with the suspension of the practical cooperation," Stoltenberg added.
Relations between Russia and NATO have deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. The alliance kept accusing Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs, sending troops to Ukraine, and went as far as to claim that Moscow planned to invade Ukraine. However, none of these statements were supported with any evidence.
On April 1, NATO ended all practical cooperation with Russia over Ukraine, only maintaining contacts at the ambassadors' and higher levels.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Moscow may consider convening a Russia-NATO Council after the new secretary general takes office. Stoltenberg responded by saying that the alliance was ready to consider the proposal if it got such a request.
