MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle says he is waiting on Russia's readiness for rapprochement with NATO.
"I will be very glad if Russia sends a clear message of broader cooperation with NATO," Westerwelle told Ekho Moskvy radio. He is paying a visit to Moscow.
"Obviously, there are new trends in NATO-Russia relations, and I wholeheartedly welcome that," he said.
Germany views Russia as a strategic partner, he said. "The European Union has also had interesting and very fruitful debates on the strategic partnership with Russia," he noted.
"We would like to synchronize the strategic partnership," he said.
Westerwelle described as "very wise" Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decision to attend the Russia-NATO Lisbon summit.
He stressed, at the same time, that Georgia still remained a problem in NATO-Russia relations.
"Certainly, our positions still differ but that does not prevent us from closer contacts in other spheres," he said.
The Caucasian problem can be resolved "only with dialog, the exchange and various initiatives," he said. "That is what we speak about. We have many other problems to resolve, including Transdniestria," the minister said.