BRUSSELS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- NATO allies and Russia on Wednesday held "useful" discussions on the Ukraine crisis, military transparency and the security situation in Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following the NATO-Russia Council meeting.
"Today we had very useful discussions. We addressed some of the most important issues on the Euro-Atlantic security agenda. This shows the value of the NATO-Russia Council," he said at the press conference.
Stressing that the NATO-Russia Council remains an important forum for dialogue, Stoltenberg added: "There was not a meeting of the minds today. But it was an important opportunity to clarify our position to each other."
The two sides discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine and the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements, Stoltenberg said. He added that a settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine by peaceful means would contribute to an overall improvement in the relations between NATO and Russia.
Transparency and risk reduction was also a topic of discussion. Stoltenberg said that NATO briefed Russia on Warsaw Summit decisions, and Russia briefed NATO Allies on their analysis and the steps they are taking.
He noted that the Russian delegation also raised a proposal on air safety in the Baltic Sea, adding: "I welcome that Russia has signaled that it wants to pursue risk reduction measures."
Regarding the security situation in Afghanistan, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO decided at the Warsaw Summit to sustain the alliance's military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016. "This is essential, because a stable and secure Afghanistan is in all our interests," he said.
In April, NATO allies and Russia held a "frank and serious" discussion at a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council after it had been suspended for almost two years in light of the Ukraine crisis.
The NATO-Russia Council, established in 2002, was conceived as a mechanism for consultation, consensus-building, cooperation, joint decision and joint action.
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