KIEV, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk on Friday proposed expanding cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and moving it into a more practical field.

The official stressed that his first foreign visit as the head of the Ministry of Defense was to NATO headquarters.

"My colleagues and I had a number of important meetings during our two days in Brussels. In particular, a short but informative conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. I informed him about the security situation in the East of Ukraine, the Black and Azov Seas," Zagorodniuk said.

Earlier Friday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba said that the visit to Ukraine on Oct. 30-31 by a delegation of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's pricipal decision-making body, headed by Stoltenberg is a powerful sign of support for Kiev.

Since the East European country was trapped in a political and economic crisis in 2013, it has strengthened cooperation with the European Union and increased interactions with NATO.

In February, the country's parliament passed a constitutional amendment making clear its intentions to join NATO and the European Union.