Nato membership 'wide open' for Georgia
Nato chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer yesterday said Georgia's path to Nato membership remained "wide open" despite last month's war and warned Russia against trying to block the alliance's expansion.
De Hoop Scheffer acknowledged doubts among some alliance members following last month's conflict with Russia, but gave a clear commitment to honouring Georgia's bid.
He warned Russia it was isolating itself by its military action and recognition of two rebel Georgian regions as independent.
"While the events of last month may have been a setback, the road to Nato is still wide open to Georgia," De Hoop Scheffer told students in an address at Tbilisi State University.
The address was part of a tour of this pro-Western ex-Soviet state with the 26 Nato ambassadors, with whom he later set out for a frontline city in the conflict, a short drive from where Russian troops are dug in.
"The process of Nato enlargement will continue, with due caution but also with a clear purpose: to help create a stable, undivided Europe.
"No other country will have a veto over that," De Hoop Scheffer said in a clear reference to Russia. "Nor will we allow our strong ties with Georgia to be broken by outside military intervention or pressure."
"Looking at the international isolation Russia has got itself into, Russia is punishing itself," he said, going on to refer to a plunge in the Russian stock market since last month's conflict.
Nato committed itself to eventual membership for both Georgia and Ukraine at a summit in April, prior to last month's war over the rebel region of South Ossetia, drawing condemnation from Cold War-era foe Moscow.
This small Caucasus state has already sent troops to Iraq in support of US operations there and on Monday the two sides inaugurated a new cooperation commission.
De Hoop Scheffer stressed Georgia still had to make improvements to the standard of its elections and to allow greater media freedom to satisfy Nato's non-military criteria.
He wrapped up the visit with a tour of the city of Gori just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from positions still occupied by Russian forces in a buffer zone outside South Ossetia. In Gori he was to visit a bombed out army base and meet refugees.
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