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Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Italian Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola speaks with the Associated Press during an interview at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. AP BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO's relations with Russia are improving thanks to shared security concerns involving Afghanistan, terrorism and maritime piracy, the alliance's top officer said Tuesday.

Speaking after a weekend visit to Moscow, Italian Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola said the boost in military relations follows months of political meetings by foreign ministers and other officials after NATO-Russia ties were suspended in 2008 in the wake of the Russian-Georgian war.

"Military-to-military cooperation is certainly better than before, and is definitely improving," said Di Paola, who heads the alliance's military committee. While in Moscow on Saturday, Di Paola met with Russian defense chief Gen. Nikolai Makarov.

NATO's relations with Russia rebounded after President Barack Obama announced his hope of resetting U.S. ties with Russia. In April, Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Last month, NATO began supplying troops in Afghanistan by a route through Russia and Central Asia, allowing the alliance to bypass ambush-prone routes through Pakistan.

The development signaled Russia's willingness to indirectly support the NATO-led mission, possibly fearing a NATO defeat in Afghanistan could destabilize neighboring Central Asia.

"Relations on the political side are improving since the "resetting," and the military has sped up their attempts to build up trust and confidence," Di Paola told The Associated Press.

The two sides have "identified and talked about" areas of potential cooperation included Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and naval anti-piracy operations off Somalia, Di Paola said, and NATO is studying a Russian proposal for supplying transport and helicopter gunships to the nascent Afghan air force.

NATO is seeking about 20 Russian-built Mil Mi-17 transport and Mi-24 gunship helicopters for the Afghan National Army Air Corps, alliance officials have said.

Afghan pilots and mechanics are accustomed to the robust and easy-to-maintain choppers, which they have used since the early 1980s.