Members of Russia's lower house of parliament stated Friday that the vast majority of the Duma is against Georgia becoming a NATO member. Defence Committee chairman Viktor Zavarzin said Georgia had not satisfied the requirements for joining the alliance, though he declined to outline what those requirements were.
The remarks came one day after Latvia's parliament voted 70 to 6 to accelerate Georgia's membership bid, ahead of a NATO summit Riga is scheduled to host the following week. Georgia had begun an intensive dialogue with NATO in September, drawing sharp criticism from Moscow.
Relations between Russia and Georgia have deteriorated sharply since then. Moscow suspended transport links, imposed a blockade, and recalled its ambassador. The arrest of four Russian military officers in Tbilisi on espionage charges shortly after the NATO talks began further strained ties.
Russian officials have also warned that a proposed NATO missile defense system over Europe would create a new military-political situation, with Moscow prepared to activate its own missile shield in response. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited Moscow recently to assure Russian officials the alliance has no immediate expansion plans.
Zavarzin expressed hope that the upcoming summit would address Russia-NATO cooperation in Afghanistan.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.