BRUSSELS (Reuters) -- NATO has stated it would aim to schedule a high-level meeting with Russia quickly, if alliance ministers agree on March 5 to move back to formal ties with Moscow, a NATO spokesman said.
NATO diplomats say alliance foreign ministers are expected to announce plans at a meeting in Brussels to resume formal ties suspended after Russia's incursion into Georgia last August. The spokesman said NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer backed such a move.
"There are clear areas where NATO and Russia need to engage more fully -- on Afghanistan, terrorism and in other areas," James Appathurai told a news briefing.
He said a formal ambassadorial-level meeting of the NATO-Russia Council could happen "very, very quickly" and added:
"The sense around the NATO table...is that they would wish to hold, if they decide to move forward in this way, a ministerial-level meeting sooner rather than later."
Appathurai stressed a decision to reengage with Russia would not imply any diminishment of NATO's condemnation of Russia's Georgian incursion and its possible decision to build bases in Georgian territory.
NATO diplomats say alliance foreign ministers are expected to announce plans at a meeting in Brussels to resume formal ties suspended after Russia's incursion into Georgia last August. The spokesman said NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer backed such a move.
"There are clear areas where NATO and Russia need to engage more fully -- on Afghanistan, terrorism and in other areas," James Appathurai told a news briefing.
He said a formal ambassadorial-level meeting of the NATO-Russia Council could happen "very, very quickly" and added:
"The sense around the NATO table...is that they would wish to hold, if they decide to move forward in this way, a ministerial-level meeting sooner rather than later."
Appathurai stressed a decision to reengage with Russia would not imply any diminishment of NATO's condemnation of Russia's Georgian incursion and its possible decision to build bases in Georgian territory.
