James Appathurai said that a letter with details of the meeting proposal had been sent through diplomatic channels to the Russian leadership, who had received it.
Contacts between Russia and NATO have become increasingly necessary due to the ever growing number of mutual concerns the parties have. Russia has been unnerved by NATO's eastward expansion and recent U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"We are certain that the geographical expansion of NATO cannot be justified by security concerns," Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Russia's Foreign Ministry official said: "We [Russia] can hardly make out to what extent the alliance will take into consideration UN demands where use of force is concerned. In this regard, NATO has maintained a consistent and clear line to keep it unclear."
NATO has signaled its backing for recent bids by Russia's former Soviet allies, Georgia and Ukraine, to join the alliance, a move that has infuriated Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the country would have to take "appropriate measures" if Ukraine were to join NATO.
An additional problem overshadowing cooperation between Russia and NATO is the bloc's refusal to ratify an updated version of the Soviet-era Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), aimed at regulating the deployment of non-nuclear arms across the continent.
Last December Russia imposed a unilateral moratorium on the arms reductions treaty, which the West regards as a cornerstone of the Euro-Atlantic security, and said it would resume its participation in the treaty only after NATO countries ratify the document.
