NATO, Russia should maintain political dialogue
(VOVWORLD) - Russia and NATO should maintain close dialogue to reduce political friction and improve security in Europe, Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said on Monday.
This dialogue is very important, because there are currently certain points of friction between NATO and Russia, Silva said at a joint press conference after the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
He said that the EU and Russia have common interest regarding collective security in the region and share an understanding on what steps should be taken to improve stability and security across Europe. Silva noted that the political channel between NATO and Russia needs to be activated and the countries should find a positive agenda in their relations.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia would create around 20 new formations and military units in Russia's Western Military District by the end of the year in response to NATO build-up in Eastern Europe.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded by saying that such behavior was expected, but expressed willingness to continue meaningful dialogue with Moscow.