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NATO to Meet About Georgia-Russia Crisis

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 09:00 CDT

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will join an emergency meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Belgium Tuesday to discuss the Georgia-Russia crisis.

Before the meeting, Rice said the ministers will discuss what the alliance can do to support Georgia and "deny Russia's strategic objectives," CNN reported.

Rice said ministers also would discuss how to support other countries bordering Russia who already are NATO members, including Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Before the talks, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that Russia must fulfill its commitments under a cease-fire agreement, The New York Times reported.

The cease-fire was brokered after Russia began its military incursion into Georgia following Georgia's efforts to rein in rebels in the pro-Russia breakaway province of South Ossetia nearly two weeks ago. Among the points of the cease-fire was Russia's immediate withdrawal of troops.

Russia says it has begun withdrawing troops, but a senior Pentagon official said little evidence of a Russian troops pull-out has been seen, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, Georgia's Interior Ministry said a prisoners were exchanged in the town of Igoeti as part of the cease-fire agreement. Officials said Georgian forces handed over five Russians and the Russians returned 15 Georgian soldiers.

Source: United Press International

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