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Putin optimistic about Russia-NATO cooperation.

BRUSSELS, November 12 (Itar-Tass) -- A meeting betweem Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson began on Monday with their strong handshake. The meeting was held in the Hilton Hotel of Brussels, after the Russia-EU summit. Speaking later at a press conference, held after his talks with George Robertson, the Russian President expressed gratitude to him for supporting the Russian people at the time of trial, following the recent act of terrorism in Moscow. "This solidarity showed that the Russia-NATO 'twenty' is an instrument, capable of consolidating the political will and resources both of Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance for the purpose of establishing peace and stability," President Putin said. He stressed that the tragic developments in Moscow reaffirmed the need for the world community to step up the struggle against terrorism.

Putin said that Russia had never expressed the intention to become a full member of NATO. Neither it is doing it now. But if the relations between Russia and NATO develop in the same positive way, if NATO is transformed and cooperation with it is in line with Russia's national interests, in this case the relations between Russia and NATO will be broader, he continued. In his opinion, restraint and mutual respect for each other's interests will be the basis of the Russia-NATO coperation.

Putin expressed hope that the expansion of NATO would not undermine the security system in the European-Atlantic region. He stressed he appreciated cooperation with NATO, but "naturally, Russia's military experts will evaluate, in the first place, a military potential that may be deployed in Europe."

George Robertson said, in his turn, that no resolutions of the forthcoming NATO summit in Prague would affect Russia's security interests. He specially stressed he could assure the Russian President of that.

Speaking at the press conference, President Putin urged the European mass media to be very careful about the problem of Chechnya and to give impartial information to the public. Putin refuted reports of some Western mass media, which said that no positive changed had taken place in Chechnya. The Russian President said in this connection that 700 million euro had been spent on the restoration of normal life in Chechnya in 2001 alone.

According to NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, it is getting more and more clear that terrorists are operating on the territory of Chechnya and that international terrorists are being trained there. He stressed that a long-term settlement of the situation in Chechnya may be achieved not only by political, but also by military methods. He reminded in this connection that NATO had always supported Russia's right to fight the violation of law on its territory. In his opinion, the ruthless tactics used by terrorists in Moscow (during the taking of hostages in the theatre centre) showed once again the seriousness of the situation.

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