BRUSSELS, April 26. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Alliance is preparing for the next meeting of the NATO-Russia Council and the alliance is open for dialogue when tensions are high, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Thursday ahead of the meetings of NATO foreign ministers.

"We continue to work towards the next meeting of the NATO-Russia Council," Stoltenberg said.

NATO sees "hybrid challenges" coming from Russia, including steps on destabilizing eastern Ukraine, the support for the "brutal regime in Syria, which has repeatedly used chemical weapons," he said. "It is also highly likely that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury," Stoltenberg noted.

"When tensions are high, it is even more important to talk with Russia. So NATO remains open to meaningful dialogue," he stressed.

He also recalled that as part of military contacts between Russia and NATO last week Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku hosted a meeting between Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO Allied Command Operations Curtis Scaparrotti.