MUNICH (Sputnik) — NATO missile defense system is not directed against Russia, the secretary general of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.
"NATO missile defense is neither designed nor directed against Russia, it does not and cannot undermine Russia's strategic deterrence," Stoltenberg said, adding that the alliance has offered Russia cooperation on missile defense.
Stoltenberg stressed that NATO was striving for constructive and more cooperative relationship with Russia.
"The NATO-Russia Council is another important form for dialogue with Russia, we need dialogue for a number of different issues," the NATO chief said.
The NATO-Russia Council was created in 2002 as a mechanism for consultations and cooperation between NATO member states and Russia on a wide range of security issues. This format was suspended in 2014 amid stained relations over the Ukrainian crisis, as the alliance accused Moscow of the involvement in the conflict.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed the allegations and stressed that NATO's military expansion and increased presence near Russian borders undermines regional security.
