News

Aggression against Georgia was discussed in an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which was held on 12 August in Brussels.

NATO member countries surveyed the humanitarian crisis in Georgia and called for an immediate ceasefire, deplored the use of force and Russia’s disproportionate actions which violated the rules of international humanitarian law.

NATO member countries urged Russia to unconditionally respect territorial integrity of Georgia and its lawfully elected government, and urged the conflicting parties to push back their forces to the boundaries of 6 August 2008.

During the meeting of the North Atlantic Council Lithuania condemned Russia’s actions very strongly.

On 12 August in Brussels, a separate meeting of the North Atlantic Council and Georgia was also convened.

Georgia pleaded its NATO partners for every kind of help: humanitarian, political, diplomatic, military, and also requested to urge Russia to cease fire, and to condemn very strongly the actions of this country against Georgia. Georgia requested that NATO’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus should be sent to Georgia immediately.

During the meeting it was indicated that Georgia’s integration into NATO remained on the agenda of the Alliance and that current situation would have no impact on the goal of establishing even more intensive relations between Georgia and the Alliance.

The Alliance will continue to watch the situation closely and, in the mean time, NATO’s Political Committee is commissioned to urgently analyse Georgia’s call for help.

The fact itself that the Georgia’s meeting with 26 NATO allies was convened testifies to a big victory of Tbilisi and its friends, and is a sign for Russia.