Russian President to receive Lord George Robertson Thursday

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a routine meeting with NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson on Thursday, the presidential press service reports.

Earlier Russian foreign ministry official spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti that the visit would make it possible to exchange opinions on the most urgent problems of international security in the Euro-Atlantic region. Besides, the parties will be able to analyze the results of NATO-Russia practical interaction in the implementation of the NATO-Russia Council's Work Program for the current year.

Lord Robertson came to Moscow yesterday on a farewell visit - he is to resign from the post of the Alliance's Secretary General. In his remarks, Lord Robertson emphasised he believed his visit to Russia was one of the priority trips to NATO partner countries.

The meetings Lord Robertson is to hold in Moscow are expected to sum up Russia-NATO cooperation in the last few years. Moscow highly assesses the Secretary General's personal contribution to the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council and the formation of a new quality of relations between Russia and the alliance in the format of 20.

"We hope the priority nature of Russia-NATO interaction will be preserved, while the Russia-NATO political dialog and practical co-operation will be developing dynamically," Yakovenko said.