Also discussed were priority issues of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Germany, notably in the economic field, as well as topical international problems.
Russia has no worries concerning the enlargement of the European Union, Vladimir Putin said after the talks with the Federal Chancellor.
Russia has not expressed any fears for its own security over NATO expansion. However, said the President, Russia will design its defence policy with due account of the fact that NATO is moving closer to its borders.
Modern threats cannot be removed by increasing the number of NATO member countries, the President noted. However, Russia’s relations with the North Atlantic alliance were developing in a positive way. The Russian head of state expressed hope that any issues that arose would be solved within the Russia-NATO Council.