NATO Welcomes Contact Between Member States, Russia - Stoltenberg

© AP Photo / Geert Vanden WijngaertNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg - Sputnik International
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NATO-Russia political contact remains active with the alliance welcoming communication between Moscow and its member states, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, the US State Department and the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that top Russian and US diplomats, Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry respectively, will meet in Sochi on May 12.

"So this is a part of an ongoing political consultation which takes place between NATO allies and Russia, and also between NATO as an alliance and Russia. And I welcome contacts, I welcome political engagement," Stoltenberg said at a press conference, adding that the bloc keeps its channels of communication with Russia open, despite the fact that practical cooperation has been suspended.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier lays wreath at a cemetery where German soldiers killed during World War II are buried, near Volgograd, Russia, May 7, 2015 - Sputnik International
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NATO's relations with Russia deteriorated in 2014 amid the conflict in Ukraine, with the bloc boosting its presence in Eastern Europe. In April 2014, NATO ceased all practical cooperation with Russia, limiting contact to ambassadorial and higher levels.

The alliance accuses Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian internal conflict, while Russia denies these allegations, warning that NATO expansion will undermine regional security.

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