NATO To Resume High-Level Contacts With Russia (VIDEO)

NATO To Resume High-Level Contacts With Russia (VIDEO)

NATO will resume high-level contacts with Russia, the BBC reports.

Nato ministers have agreed to resume high-level contacts with Russia, making what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called a "fresh start".

Russia welcomed the move, six months after the Nato-Russia Council was frozen by Nato over the brief war last summer between Russia and Georgia.

Mrs Clinton said areas of mutual concern included Afghanistan.

Clinton also urged the NATO alliance to remain open to membership for Georgia and Ukraine, reports Reuters.

"We should continue to open NATO's door to European countries such as Georgia and Ukraine and help them meet NATO standards," Clinton said in prepared remarks.

Russia strongly opposes NATO membership for the two former Soviet states because Moscow fears encroachment by the military alliance on its sphere of influence.

NATO has promised eventual membership for Ukraine and Georgia but has stressed this is a long way off, with allies France and Germany the least enthusiastic over allowing them to join because of Moscow's angry reaction.

Watch this Russia Today report:

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