NATO to hold new talks with Russia July 13

NATO will hold fresh talks with Russia next week, just days after a landmark alliance summit endorses a major military revamp to counter a more assertive Moscow, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg was quoted by Business Standard as saying on Thursday.

"We have decided together with Russia to hold a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC)... The meeting will take place on 13 July at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, shortly after the NATO summit in Warsaw," this Friday and Saturday, Stoltenberg said in a statement.

The NRC brings together ambassadors from the 28 NATO member states and Russia, and met regularly until the Ukraine crisis plunged relations with Moscow into the deep freeze.

Russia's ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko said: "The main focus will be on the military security in the wake of decisions to be taken at the NATO summit in Warsaw,"

"We hope for a frank and serious dialogue on the issues related to the increased NATO activities near Russian borders and their impact on the security and stability in Europe and its regions."

"We will also continue the exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan," he added. 

NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia following its shock 2014 annexation of Crimea but kept channels of communication open, with Germany and several other member states stressing that in a crisis situation, it would be wrong to close the door completely.

Source: MENA