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NATO PA welcomes Georgiaâ€™s aspirations for membership

20 November 2008 09:53 (UTC +04:00)

Valenciaâ€“APA. NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted 373 Declaration on the conflict between Georgia and Russia in its plenary session in Valencia. The Russian military had, for many months, been increasing the number of troops, specialized forces, and military equipment in South Ossetia and Abkhazia well beyond levels appropriate for peacekeeping forces, thereby contributing to an escalation of tensions in both regions, said in the Declaration. â€œThe increased attacks in August 2008 on Georgian villages by forces inside South Ossetia constituted a serious provocation, but disappointed that Georgian authorities responded with armed force, which contributed to an escalation of violenceâ€. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly stressed that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are sovereign territory of Georgia and that the Russian Federation voted for numerous United Nations resolutions - including UNSCR 1808 on 15 April 2008 - which reaffirm the territorial integrity of Georgia. The assembly called on NATO member countries to support Georgiaâ€™s application for Membership Action Plan. It also convinced of the need to provide assistance to Georgia as it deals with the consequences of the conflict and noting the great interest of donor countries in assisting Georgia. â€œRecalling that the April 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration supports Georgiaâ€™s application for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) and states that Georgia will become a member of NATOâ€, said in the Declaration.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly also adopted 371 Declaration on the future of NATO-Russia relations. The Assembly described the principles of relations between the alliance and Russia, expressing concern over Russiaâ€™s disproportionate use of force in Georgia in August 2008 and the failure to comply swiftly with ceasefire agreements. The Assembly stressed that the Allies and Russia share a number of security concerns, including the threat posed by terrorist groups, the continuing instability of Afghanistan, the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), and Iranâ€™s nuclear and missile programmes.