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Steinmeier says global security situation changed, it is necessary to respond to this

The German diplomat has stressed the importance of continuing work of the NATO-Russia Council
German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier AP Photo/Cliff Owen
German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier
© AP Photo/Cliff Owen

BERLIN, September 2. /TASS/. The security situation in the world has changed, and it is necessary to react to this in a variety of institutions, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday at a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin.

"The security situation has changed, and we need to react to this in the institutions that are at our disposal," he said mentioning NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) among these institutions.

The German diplomat has also stressed the importance of continuing work of the NATO-Russia Council, maintaining dialog.

"In spite of all threats and risks that should not be underestimated, we should not forget about such an aspect as dialogue," he said on Friday following talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin. "I am glad that the NATO-Russia Council has resumed its work, at least at the ambassadors’ level," Steinmeier noted.

He added that dialogue should be linked to specific proposals. "I share the concern that we have overlooked the need for negotiations on arms control. I believe this may be an area where we could at least try to check the Russian side’s readiness to work with us on the common security aspects," Germany’s top diplomat said.

Meetings of the NATO-Russia Council have not been held for a long time. In April 2014, after Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the alliance froze all practical cooperation with Moscow. It was decided though to maintain the council’s work to keep political dialogue channels open.