MUNICH, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Saturday that NATO needs to find new partners to address the global security concerns and a strategic partnership between NATO and Russia is in the interest of both sides.

    NATO "needs to find partners" in order to deal with the current and upcoming global challenges, and Russia remains an important one, said Scheffer at a high-profile security conference in southern German city of Munich.

    "NATO can not afford not to do this" if the alliance is to meet global challenges such as terrorism and regional conflicts in the future, he said.

    However, the NATO chief saw a "disconnect" and "disappointment" as he sought cooperation with Russia.

    Earlier in the day at the same meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin called NATO's expansion "a serious factor which reduces the level of mutual trust."

    In March 2004, the three former Soviet republics -- Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia -- joined the NATO, bringing the military alliance at the gate of Russia.

    Russia has the right to ask whom NATO is aimed at by expanding its bases and infrastructures toward Moscow when the real global threat was posed by terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, Putin said.

    Putin accused the United States of "almost uncontained" use of force which has led other countries to seek for weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.

    "The legitimate use of force can only done by the United Nations, which cannot be replaced by EU or NATO," he said.

    Meanwhile, Japan, Australia and South Korea have also declared their interest in cooperating with NATO.

    Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said at the meeting that a partnership with NATO, with which Australia shares the same values such as democracy and respect for human rights, will help better address the security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Some 250 top officials from over 40 countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and EU chief diplomat Javier Solana and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates participated in the 43rd Munich security conference which will run from late Friday until Sunday.

    The Munich security conference, entitled "global crisis, global responsibilities," highlights NATO's role, the Middle East peace process, transatlantic relations, the West's relations with Russia and the fight against international terrorism, according to the organizers.