NATO FMs Approve Opening Technical Communications Channel With Russia

ANTALYA (Turkey) (Sputnik) – A decision to open a communications channel between Russia and NATO was approved during a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Turkey, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a briefing Thursday.

"The decision of such a technical channel was approved, it was approved by my colleagues and myself," Steinmeir said.

Earlier, Steinmeir said that activities of military training both in Russia and in NATO member states need a "hotline," and that a Russia-NATO hotline would help in avoiding escalations in tensions and incorrect interpretations of signals.

Thursday is the second day of the two-day NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Antalya, Turkey.

Earlier on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance plans to reinforce its defense in eastern and southern Europe to levels of the Cold War because of an "assertive Russia" and the unprecedented spread of extremism.

The relations between NATO and Moscow went downhill following Crimea's reunification with Russia and the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014. Last April, the alliance ceased all civilian and military cooperation with Russia over Russia's alleged involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly denied these claims voicing concern over NATO's increased military presence close to its western borders.

On Wednesday, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to NATO said in a statement that NATO promotes a distorted "black and white" picture of the history of relations between Moscow and the alliance and repeatedly ignored Russian efforts to strengthen the security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic area.