Moscow hopes this year to strike an unprecedented deal with NATO, which would allow Cold War foes to deploy combat units on each other's territories, Itar-Tass news agency quoted Russia's defense chief as saying on Sunday.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov's statement, made in Oslo, contrasted sharply with previous remarks in which he said Russia might review its NATO-friendly military stance if the alliance did not change its "offensive" nature.
"This year I hope we will sign an agreement with NATO on the status of forces," Tass quoted Ivanov as saying.
"The document will allow NATO units equipped with armor onto our territory and our units equipped with armor onto the territory of alliance countries," he said, adding that it would be part of Russia and NATO's joint fight against terrorism.
The deal, if signed, would be a new step in post-Cold War cooperation between Russia and NATO, strongly promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a part of his strive to strengthen ties with the West.
In 2001, Russia joined the US-led "war on terror" and backed a military operation in Afghanistan, allowing a fly-through route for NATO planes and the use of its railways for the alliance's cargo.
Moscow also encouraged its Central Asian ex-Soviet allies -- Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan -- to allow a NATO military presence during the Afghan operation.
In a further signal of seeking closer ties with NATO, Ivanov said Russia did not rule out joint navy patrols in the Mediterranean Sea to intercept illegal migrants and unspecified "dangerous cargo."
But Ivanov, quoted by Tass, said joint patrols were only possible "with strict adherence to international law and the framework of Russian legislation," in a clear reference to Moscow's opposition to US plans to intercept ships suspected of being used by "international terrorists."
Despite the partnership with NATO, Russia felt uncomfortable last week when the alliance moved closer to its borders, adopting the three ex-Soviet Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, some of which have strained relations with Moscow.
Moscow has said it saw no reason for the expansion other than to encircle Russia -- something NATO officials deny.
In an article, published last month by respected magazine Russia in Global Affairs, Ivanov accused NATO of maintaining an anti-Russian bias and an "offensive military doctrine."
He said Moscow might rethink its military position if the alliance failed to transform itself into a largely political, rather than military, organization.
The state Duma said on Wednesday that it would advise Putin to "adopt appropriate measures to safely guarantee Russia's security" if NATO ignored Moscow's concerns.
However, in a move signaling Moscow's acceptance of the inevitable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met NATO counterparts in Brussels on Friday.
At that meeting, the flags of the seven new members of NATO were raised for the first time at NATO's headquarters.
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