NATO, Russia council to meet on April 20 in Brussels

Workers set up banners with the flags of the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) outside Strasbourg's Congress Center April 2, 2009. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO envoys will hold their first formal meeting with Russia in almost two years on April 20, the Western alliance said on Tuesday, with the crisis in Ukraine, reducing military risks and Afghanistan on the agenda.

"It is not a return to business as usual, but we do need dialogue," said a NATO spokeswoman.