Bucharest - Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of NATO began discussing possible avenues of cooperation at a meeting in Bucharest on Friday which was seen as giving the two sides the chance to bury the hatchet.
The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) was established in 2002 as a means of fostering mutual understanding.
But relations between NATO and Russia have progressively deteriorated since, reaching one of their lowest post-Cold War points over the past year.
Disagreements cover a variety of issues, including Kosovo, a planned US missile defence shield in Central Europe and NATO's willingness to extend its reach eastwards.
