NATO-Russia cooperation on Afghanistan, in particular in fighting the drug trade, is a good example of practical interaction, the NATO secretary general said Thursday in the Dutch town of Noordwijk.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer praised during the opening of the Russia-NATO Council the extension of a joint project on fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan, as well as preparing a framework agreement on air and other forms of transportation for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) acting under NATO auspices.

The NATO chief said a Russian Navy ship had joined in September the Active Endeavour operation NATO is conducting in the Mediterranean, adding there would be other opportunities for such cooperation.

Scheffer also highlighted progress in Russia-NATO cooperation in airspace monitoring and air traffic control to decrease the threat of terrorist attacks.

The Russia-NATO Council`s session, attended by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, took place after an informal session of the alliance on the defense ministerial level.

Moscow and NATO signed a founding act to form a NATO-Russia permanent joint council ten years ago. The current cooperation forum, the NATO-Russia Council, was set up five years ago to implement projects of common interest, which include crisis management, non-proliferation, rescue efforts, and new challenges. The council does not give Russia a right of veto in NATO`s decision making.
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