anders_fogh_rasmussen_in_Georgia_September_2012

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen writes that Russia has stirred up conflicts in Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.

In an opinion piece published in Financial Times, Rasmussen writes that after the collapse of communism, NATO has made efforts in order to engage with Moscow. It has offered cooperation on more issues than with any other non-NATO member states, striving towards a strategic partnership.

“Russia’s response has been to tear up the rule book, stir up conflict in Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, and challenge the rules-based international order,” he writes.

Rasmussen continues writing that Russian-backed separatists have been linked to the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

“A resurgent Russia is not our only challenge. We face an arc of crises from north Africa to the Middle East and the Caucasus.”


Alexi Petriashvili, Georgia’s Minister for Euro and Euro Atlantic Integration, said in a statement the same day that what Rasmussen wrote is important.

He told journalists that Georgia is a target of aggression and 20 percent of its territory is occupied. He said there is specific evidence about support for Ukraine’s separatists and there are concerning statements made about Moldova, and on this background it is very important that the secretary general makes such a statement.

Petriashvili says NATO’s Wales summit is coming closer and it is important to get specific and appropriate decisions so that Georgia’s interests may be taken into account and its defense ability strengthened.

NATO officials have said that Georgia is not going to be offered a membership action plan, a so-called MAP, at the upcoming summit, but NATO is going to offer Georgia a substantive ‘package’. It is so far unknown what this will mean.