NATO considers it necessary to keep the channels of political dialogue with Russia open, bloc's chef Jen Stoltenberg said in an interview with TV channel HaberTurk.

According to him, NATO is working to build a more constructive relationship with Russia. At the same time, the Secretary General of the Alliance said that Russia is a major military power. Asked about two major challenges for NATO, namely relations with Russia and the fight against the Islamic State, Stoltenberg said it is wrong to compare them.

“These are two completely different tough challenges for us. And NATO is not in a position to choose: either the fight against terrorism or ambitious Russia," he said

Speaking of Russian-Turkish relations, Stoltenberg said that NATO has a positive attitude to the improvement in relations between the two countries. He said dialogue  is very important, especially when there are disagreements. This position is within the entire Alliance: to strengthen our collective security, increase our military presence in the east and to keep open the channels of political dialogue with Russia, TASS reported./