U.S. can closely cooperate with Russia not shirking its obligations to NATO partners, U.S. former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated in U.S. Senate, Newsru.com reports.

New NATO Secretary General Fogh Rasmussen asked Albright to head the Board of experts that will elaborate proposals on “new strategic procedure.” According to Albright, NATO and Russia have many common interests, such as maintenance of stability in Central Asia, fight against terrorism and piracy, as well as against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

“Despite the common interests, there are people in Moscow willing to see Washington making a choice between neutrality with its allies and cooperation with Russia, as if these two thwart one another. Actually U.S. can implicitly fulfill obligations to its allies without infringing upon Russia’s interests,” Albright concluded.