The FINANCIAL -- According tot RIA Novosti, the Russia-NATO Council will hold an informal meeting on January 26 in Brussels, the Russian envoy to the military alliance said on January 12.

Dmitry Rogozin earlier said Russia and NATO were moving toward "a normalization in bilateral relations."

NATO foreign ministers agreed in early December at a meeting in Brussels to gradually restore contacts with MOSCOW , frozen after Russia's armed conflict with Georgia in August.

NATO called Russia's military response to Georgia's attack on South Ossetia "disproportionate" and condemned MOSCOW 's decision in late August to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway province, as independent states.

In response to NATO 's decision to halt cooperation, Russia put on hold a number of programs, including the Partnership for Peace program, a high-ranking visit to MOSCOW , some joint naval training and NATO visits to Russian ports.

However Russia continued its work with NATO on arms control, cooperation in airspace, and the war in Afghanistan.

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