NATO leaders have decided not to receive, for the moment, Ukraine and Georgia, in the Membership Action Plan, has announced yesterday NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, at the end of North Atlantic Council held in Bucharest. "NATO salutes euro-atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia and NATO leaders assumed engagement that one day these two countries would be part of the Alliance", said Scheffer.
"NATO salutes democratic reforms in the two countries. We are waiting the legislative election in Georgia in May. MAP is the further step to a direct adhesion. Starting from now on there will be a period of intense engagements at a high political level. In December, the Ministers of Foreign Affaires will do a first evaluation of progresses made until then. They have the authority to decide MAP implementation in Ukraine and in Georgia", told Scheffer. Asked when he thinks the countries will become members, he underlined that the final form of the official statement will be that "the two countries will become members of NATO".
(Source: Newsin)
