Lavrov Speaks of Georgia’s NATO Aspiration
If Georgia joins NATO, Russia will have to reappraise its security arrangements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on January 15.
“This is a matter for the Georgian people. But, if such a decision were made, Russia would have to rethink its security under new conditions,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov pointed out that Georgia, in exchange for a Russian pullout from military bases in Georgia, had committed itself not to allow other countries to establish military bases on its territory. “Let’s see how things will go,” Lavrov said.
Moscow’s preference – said many times and in collision with Tbilisi’s NATO aspirations – is for Georgian neutrality.
In a plebiscite held simultaneously with the presidential election on January 5, 72.5% of voters said they wanted Georgia to join NATO.
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