MOSCOW. Nov 3 (Interfax) - NATO sees Russia not as a foe but as a strategic partner, said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Lisbon summit should clearly signal to people in Russia: NATO sees Russia not as an enemy but as a partner of strategic importance, Rasmussen told a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
Hopefully, the NATO-Russia Council summit in Lisbon will be a platform that will give a fresh impetus to the NATO-Russia relationship, he said.
NATO would like to do enormous work with Russia to make the world a safer place on the basis of trust, confidence and mutual understanding, the NATO chief said.
Lisbon resolutions will help make it a reality for the benefit of both Russia and NATO, he said.
The Lisbon meeting will become a real opportunity to turn the page of the past and boldly look into the future, he said.
He also used the opportunity to express his condolences over the death of former Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, who died on Wednesday, describing him as an outstanding prime minister and a very well-known international figure.