NATO debates talks with Russia, - Secretary General Stoltenberg

The Alliance is discussing whether to hold its first formal talks with Russia since 2014 when the Ukraine crisis plunged relations into a deep freeze.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg told a press briefing on NATO's annual report for 2015 Thursday, Censor.NET informs citing AFP via Yahoo.

Stoltenberg said NATO and Russia needed transparency to avoid misunderstandings and incidents such as the November shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by key alliance member Turkey after it violated its airspace along the Syrian border.

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"We are looking into the possibility of holding a NATO-Russia Council meeting," Stoltenberg said.

"No final decision has been taken but we will also discuss that with the Russian delegation at NATO and then make a final decision on when to have such a meeting," he added.

NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia after its intervention in Ukraine and 2014 annexation of Crimea but it left in place the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) as a possible channel of communication with Moscow.

The NRC groups all 28 NATO member states, usually at ambassador level with their Russian counterpart, to manage ties. It held a last, frosty meeting in June 2014.