Tallinn - Foreign ministers from NATO member states and the alliance's partners discussed relations between NATO and Russia at a working meeting in Tallinn on Friday morning, a spokesman for the Estonian Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Friday
"The participants in the meeting confirmed that Russia an important partner for NATO, with which the alliance has been trying to develop practical cooperation based on mutual interests," the spokesman said.
"NATO is still having problems with its image in Russia. It will be difficult to change it if Russia’s leaders do not do this themselves," he said.
Commenting on the results of the meeting, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that "NATO’s relations with Russia directly depend on their political will and their ability to fulfill bilateral obligations."
Mutual confidence building measures will require time, and they will be "based on treaties and a common vision," Paet said.
NATO and Russia could continue promoting their cooperation in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy, as well as on issues linked to the transit of NATO’s supplies intended for Afghanistan through Russian territory, he said.
"The existing security architecture in Europe is functioning normally, and its further effective operations will depend primarily on states’ commitment to their international obligations," the Estonian minister said.
