Despite their differences, Russia and NATO need to work closer together, said the defence alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Wednesday on his first visit to Moscow as head of NATO, reported the Interfax news agency.
NATO would be interested in an expanded partnership with Russia, Rasmussen said, adding that both face the same risks, DPA reported.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed that there are substantial differences of opinion between Russia and NATO, but that that should not rule out cooperation.
Medvedev noted that Russo-NATO relations have reached a new level. "Who would have ever thought that we would have to react jointly to problems like piracy?" he asked, Interfax reported.
Rasmussen is scheduled to stay in Russia through Thursday. Talks are likely to focus on trying to get Russia to boost its commitment to peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan.
Russia and NATO only recently agreed to renew military cooperation after a year and a half long interruption, prompted by NATO's objection to Russia's 2008 war with Georgia.
Medvedev on Wednesday also promoted his proposal for a new global security architecture, which some analysts say is an attempt to create a competing organization to NATO.