|
 Jens Stoltenberg, who is visiting Poland, said NATO would still
respect its international commitments, which include a post-Cold War
deal with Moscow about Western military deployments in former
members of the old Soviet bloc.
"There is no contradiction between a strong NATO and building
constructive relations with Russia," Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian
prime minister who took up his new job last week, told the Gazeta
Wyborcza daily in an interview.
"That stems from my political experience. Norway is a small country
that neighbors Russia, yet despite that, probably even in the
coldest periods of the Cold War, we were able to cooperate on
questions of energy, fisheries and demarcation of maritime borders,"
he was quoted as saying.
Relations between Moscow and the NATO alliance are at a post-Cold
War low over Russia's actions in Ukraine, where it annexed the
Crimean peninsula in March and has been supporting pro-Russian
separatists in eastern Ukraine.
"We are strengthening our security without violating NATO's
international commitments," Stoltenberg said of the alliance's
increased presence in Poland and the Baltic states.
Aiming to reassure allies near Russia's border, the alliance has
adopted a plan to create a "spearhead" rapid reaction force and
pre-position supplies and equipment in east European countries so
they can be reinforced within days in a crisis.
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NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia in April in
protest over Moscow's seizure of Crimea. But it has made clear it
will not intervene militarily in Ukraine, which is not an alliance
member.
Stoltenberg, 55, who in his youth was an anti-war activist, is known
for his skills in forging compromise and for his knowledge of
Russia.
As Norwegian prime minister, he negotiated a deal with Russia in
2010 that ended a four-decade dispute over their Arctic maritime
borders and built a personal friendship with then-president Dmitry
Medvedev.
(Reporting by Christian Lowe; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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