MOSCOW. Sept 25 (Interfax) - The restart of Russia-NATO cooperation depends on the future decisions and actions of the alliance, Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko said.
"As to the resumption of cooperation, there is a saying "you cannot step in the same river twice". Everything depends on NATO," he told Interfax on the sidelines of an international conference of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in Moscow.
"Russia was prepared to continue interaction in the interest of universal security, global security, and regional security," he said.
The senior diplomat said NATO had refused to cooperate in Afghanistan and the fight against piracy and terrorism.
"We think that, first and foremost, NATO should analyze earlier decisions and compare them with its own interests and the interest of global security. That will determine a possible vector for further development to a considerable degree," he said.
The next NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, whose office starts on October 1 has said the alliance is not considering the restoration of the earlier format of Russia-NATO relations.