NATO Secretary General reiterates need to maintain dialogue with Russia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for toning down aggressive rhetoric towards Russia, while at the same time emphasizing the need to maintain dialogue with Moscow, TASS reported.
"I welcome any toning down of the rhetoric because I think words matter and the less aggressive rhetoric can be a first step towards also a better dialogue,” Stoltenberg stated. “At the same time, words matter, but of course deeds matter even more. So, therefore the important thing is what we see, what kind of actions we see from the Russian side.”
The NATO Secretary General noted that the alliance will continue to “pursue a dual-track approach” based on collective defense combined with dialogue regarding relations with Russia.
"We need defense and dialogue, not defense or dialogue," he emphasized.
“We welcome anything that can improve the conditions for a dialogue with Russia. We believe that especially when tensions run high, it is particularly important to have dialogue and communication. We don’t want a new Cold War and confrontation with Russia,” Stoltenberg stressed
The Secretary General also noted that while the two sides often disagree with each other, it is important to have “frank and open discussions” on different issues.