Russia, which worries about a strengthening Taliban power along its borders, has decided to increase the support it gives to the international forces in Afghanistan.
Within this context, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is holding contacts in Moscow.
"I think my visit to Russia marks a new phase in the relationship between NATO and Russia, a new beginning", Rasmussen told journalists at a briefing in Moscow.
"We are faced with the same threats in a number of areas: terrorism, Afghanistan, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, piracy - just to mention some - and we should join efforts in the fight against these threats and therefore we should develop a true, strategic partnership," he added.
The Russian media said that Rasmussen will demand light and heavy weapons and air defense systems as well as ironclads to transfer staff in Afghanistan.
NATO will ask for 6 more 4 Antonov AN32 military transportation planes which are widely used in Afghanistan.
Analysts in Moscow said that such a support would likely to upgrade the NATO-Russian relations to a level of real strategic partnership.
Meanwhile, the NATO Secretary General is also expected to try to convince Moscow on an American proposal on new missiles shield.
NATO-Russian ties, which strained after the Russia-Georgia war last year, have been back on track again recently.