Georgia, Tbilisi, November 9 / Trend, N. Kirtskhalia /
Non-NATO member countries can not influence the Alliance's decisions on admission of its new members, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday at a briefing in Tbilisi.
His remark was a response to reporters' question about the fact that in recent years Russian politicians increasingly said that it was their country that could block the receipt of NATO membership action plan by Georgia and Ukraine in 2007.
"Non-members of the alliance can not veto our decisions, and therefore it can't be said that Russia might somehow interfere with this process," said Rasmussen.
He noted that NATO continues to pursue a policy of "open doors" that "is not aimed against third countries."
"On the contrary, we have offered Russia the special relationship, so we are talking about cooperation, not confrontation," stressed the Secretary General, noting that Georgia "will become a NATO member, as soon as it will become close to its standards."
"Our doors are open for Georgia, as well as for any other country", said Rasmussen.