President Putin with NATO Secretary General George Robertson.
Mr Putin expressed his satisfaction with the development of Russia-NATO partnership, adding that the dynamic progress made by the Russia-NATO Council, teamwork, and cooperation had acquired a practical content.
He said he hoped that the extension of NATO would not build up tensions but, on the contrary, would give Russia-NATO relations a new quality.
He stressed that Russian and NATO assessments of military demands and development in the context of new security challenges were very close.