NATO
has reassured Ukraine about its prospects of joining the transatlantic
alliance, with both sides condemning Russia`s decision to recognise
Georgia`s breakaway regions.At a meeting in Brussels Wednesday
between ambassadors from NATO and Ukraine - the first such meeting
since the outbreak of the conflict in Georgia - the sides expressed
`deep concern over the current situation in Georgia, and its
implications on the security in the Caucasus and the Euro-Atlantic
area`.
`Our nations support the territorial integrity,
independence and sovereignty of partner nations` such as Georgia and
Ukraine, a statement from NATO read.
`The NATO-Ukraine Commission
condemned the decision by the Russian Federation to extend recognition
to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia,` the sides said
in a statement.
The meeting was also attended by Ukrainian Deputy
Foreign Minister Konstiantyn Yeliseyev, who acts as his country`s
special envoy to Georgia.
Yeliseyev, who paid a recent visit to
the troubled region, expressed Ukraine`s `readiness to contribute to
the settlement of the conflict (in Georgia).`
NATO ambassadors
welcomed the offer and reiterated their willingness to invite Georgia
and Ukraine into the alliance at a future stage.
Wednesday`s
meeting came just hours after French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
had warned that Russia could in future attempt to destabilise other
former Soviet regions and countries such as `Crimea, Ukraine, Moldova`.
Crimea,
a former Russian peninsula which is now part of Ukraine, still hosts
Russia`s Black Sea fleet, which was used to attack Georgia in the
recent conflict.
