Moscow, Dec 23 (IANS): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow hopes that its proposals on security guarantees will be taken seriously by NATO and the US.

"We will do everything to make sure we are understood, considering the actions we are currently taking to ensure our defense capability, I hope that we will be taken seriously," Lavrov said during an interview for RT.

Russia has recently sent a draft agreement to NATO and a draft treaty to the United States both on security guarantees in Europe for the Western countries to consider, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lavrov pointed out that a series of conversations have taken place at the level of foreign policy assistants to the presidents of Russia and the US.

"It was agreed that the first round of bilateral talks between us and our American negotiators would take place at the very beginning of next year," he said.

Nonetheless, Lavrov reiterated that with NATO's infrastructure approaching Russia's borders, Moscow insists on legally binding guarantees.