NATO head seeks thaw in Russia relations

BRUSSELS, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- NATO and Russia must set aside past mistrust and work together to meet 21st century security challenges, NATO's new secretary-general said Friday.

NATO leaders want Russia to be a "real stakeholder" in international security matters, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rassmussen said in his first major speech delivered at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"We need Russia as a partner in resolving the great issues of our time," he said.

While a "time out" may have been helpful for both sides to rethink their relationship, "the international security environment does not wait for NATO and Russia to sort out their act. Quite simply, NATO-Russia cooperation is not a matter of choice -- it is a matter of necessity," Rassmussen said in remarks posted on NATO's Web site.

Rassmussen suggested the country and the military alliance focus on reinforcing cooperation, reviving the NATO-Russia Council and conducting a joint review of new security challenges.

"This new relationship will require a lot of hard work," he said. "But if we manage to get away from the reflex of assuming the worst about each other, and focus instead on our common interests, then we can make a genuine new beginning in our relationship -- in our own interest and that of the entire international community."