"It is a fact that the Russia-NATO Council took place again, that the negotiations took place again. It is a good sign. But by no means does it imply that there are no more differences in opinion, that all the issues have been clarified," Merkel told reporters at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.
She added that it was important that dialogue had been renewed and this fact showed that the sides could talk to each other.
The Council was created in 2002 as a mechanism for consultations and cooperation between NATO member states and Russia on a wide range of security issues.
In 2014, NATO decided to suspend practical civilian and military cooperation with Moscow amid strained relations over the Ukrainian crisis, as the bloc accused Russia of involvement in the conflict.
