MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The Council of Europe may serve as a basis for the single European space stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

"While advancing the initiative aimed at establishing a single economic space and security space stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, we believe that the Council of Europe may serve as a humanitarian basis for the single European space," the Russian top diplomat noted.

Lavrov also said that the Council of Europe was one of the few European non-governmental organizations active in almost every area of Europe’s daily life. "We welcome the opportunity to discuss cooperation between Russia and the Council of Europe with you," the minister added.