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Russia-NATO Council to discuss prospects for further dialogue

The Russia-NATO Council will discuss issues of the transparency of military activities in Europe, the situation in Ukraine, measures to reduce risks of military incidents and accidents

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The next meeting of the Russia-NATO Council will be held at the level of permanent representatives in Brussels on December 19, Andrei Kelin, director of the Russian foreign ministry’s European cooperation department, told TASS on Thursday.

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Stoltenberg says NATO continues to strive for more constructive dialogue with Moscow

Earlier, an ambassadorial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council on December 19 was announced by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"It is a regular meeting," Kelin said. "We expected it and were getting prepared for it."

Touching on the meeting’s agenda, the Russian diplomat refrained from singling out the most pressing topics. The meeting will address "everything which is important for the continuation of political dialogue between Russia and NATO," he said. "The Russia-NATO Council meets rarely but regularly. There is nothing special about the forthcoming meeting. It will be a routine one."

According to Stoltenberg, the Russia-NATO Council will discuss issues of the transparency of military activities in Europe, the situation in Ukraine, measures to reduce risks of military incidents and accidents.

The previous meeting of the Russia-NATO Council took place in Brussels on July 13, or four days after the NATO summit in Warsaw. Since then the alliance has repeatedly said it planned to organize another meeting. Russia however kept on saying such a meeting would be expedient only when NATO was ready for a substantive dialogue.

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