Moscow - NATO and Russia agreed to improve relations significantly yesterday after a year of Cold War-style tensions, but made clear not all the ice had melted.
A statement issued after NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson met Russia's Acting President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin said the two sides aimed to intensify their contacts and jointly become a cornerstone of European security.
"We are renewing our basic relationship. We consider each other as important strategic partners in guaranteeing security in Europe and the world," the Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, said.
Moscow froze its ties with NATO last year in anger over the alliance's bombing of Yugoslavia. More recently, NATO has criticised Russia's military campaign against rebel fighters in Chechnya, urging Moscow to seek a political solution.