"Moscow is counting on the new secretary general making the development of Russia-NATO relations a priority," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We also hope that Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will continue the policy of his predecessor Lord Robertson in developing a political dialogue and practical cooperation between members of the Russia-NATO Council," the statement said.

"That would correspond to the interest of strengthening stability and security in our common Euro-Atlantic space," it said.

Russia has watched warily as the Atlantic alliance has expanded eastwards ever closer to its borders following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The bloc already includes former Soviet satellites like Poland and at an Istanbul summit in June will welcome the former Soviet Baltic republics into the fold.

Conceived as a Cold War fighting bloc to stand against the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, NATO has been battling to transform itself into a relevant force in the post-September 11 world.

De Hoop Scheffer took over the helm of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday in Brussels, pledging to act with "vigour" at a crucial time for the alliance, as it faces key challenges in Afghanistan and possibly Iraq.

He succeeded straight-talking Scotsman George Robertson as secretary general and is the third Dutchman to lead the alliance during its 55-year history.

Keeping US-Europe relations on an even keel will be a key priority, he said, while adding that bolstering a NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan must be the alliance's "primary focus" for the moment.

De Hoop Scheffer knows NATO well, having worked in the Dutch delegation to the organization in the 1980s.

WAR.WIRE