"I welcome the fact that we have identified the last obstacles, and that the NATO-Russia Council will soon resume its important work. It is positive that dialogue is to be renewed. There are many issues and topics on which even formal dialogue between the alliance and Russia is useful and necessary," Steinmeier said, as quoted in a Foreign Ministry statement reported by Sputnik News.
On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the NATO-Russia Council will hold a meeting at the level of ambassadors within two weeks. The council will discuss the Ukrainian crisis, the security situation in Afghanistan, terrorist threats and military activity, he added.
In April 2014, the council suspended its work following Crimea's rejoining with Russia and NATO allegations of Russian intervention in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has stressed the legality of Crimea's referendum to join Russia, and denied being a side in the conflict in east Ukraine.