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Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: â€œNo nation can veto Georgian NATO bidâ€

04 October 2007 16:28 (UTC +04:00)

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Thursday no nation could veto Georgiaâ€™s bid to join the U.S.-led military alliance and that the door remained open to the small ex-Soviet state.
â€œThat is the process that has to be decided finally by all the 26 NATO allies and no nation, I repeat big or small, will be able to influence that process.â€
Scheffer appeared to be alluding not only to Russia but also to NATO member France whose defense minister, Herve Morin, told Reuters on Wednesday that Paris would not support Georgiaâ€™s NATO bid if it meant Russia felt threatened.
Relations between Russia and the small former ally on its southern fringes have sharply deteriorated since pro-Western Saakashvili won power in a peaceful 2003 revolution and vowed to win back two pro-Russian rebel regions.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in wars after the 1991 break up of the Soviet Union.
â€œMy visit today here of course is also a sign of encouragement for Georgia to continue the path of reform. Let me stress once again, loud and clear â€“ NATOâ€™s door was open and is open,â€ de Hoop Scheffer said at news briefing in Signakhi, two hours drive east of Tbilisi.
But he ruled out any role for NATO in resolving tensions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia./APA/