Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini appealed to Russia on Friday not to freeze "indispensable" collaboration with NATO because of disagreement over the recent conflict in Georgia, Italian News Agency ANSA said.
NATO said Thursday Russia had decided to suspend all military cooperation with the organization because of what it saw as pro-Georgia sympathies of member countries.
"I hope that the Russian authorities will rethink their decision to reduce, or worse, suspend their collaboration with NATO," Frattini said.
"I'm absolutely convinced that for Italy, Europe and NATO, military collaboration with Russia is indispensable," he added.
The minister pointed to Russian collaboration over key issues including Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear program and the stability of the area between the Russian border and the Black Sea.
"Russia needs us and we need Russia," he said.
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said earlier this week it could not be "business as usual" with Russia while the country still had troops in Georgia.
Russia on Friday was still in the process of withdrawing troops, five days after it began the process in accordance with a cease-fire deal negotiated by the European Union.
Source: Xinhua
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