NATO relies on partnership with Ukraine - Rasmussen
14:50 10/06/2010
BRUSSELS, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - NATO relies on partnership with Ukraine, although the door for membership remains open, the NATO secretary general said on Thursday
NATO relies on partnership with Ukraine, although the door for membership remains open, the NATO secretary general said on Thursday.
"Our door remains open, but currently we rely on the partnership [with Ukraine]," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in his opening statement at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
"Ukraine is a free country and we respect its choice," Rasmussen said referring to the Ukraine's non-alignment policy with international military blocs, declared by president Viktor Yanukovych on June 3.
Rasmussen also discussed NATO cooperation with Georgia over its membership bid.
Rasmussen said the Alliance was waiting for Georgia to conduct necessary reforms before it can enter the bloc.
"NATO's door also remains open for Georgia, but we will focus on the reforms," Rasmussen said, adding that since Georgia's recent local elections were an encouraging sign of progress in the country, NATO would continue its support for the ex-Soviet state.
Georgia has long been pursuing NATO membership, but its bid was turned down due to pressure from Germany and France at a 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest. NATO has said Georgia will definitely join the alliance at an unspecified date in the future.
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