Russia says Nato stoking cold war fires
Russia accuses Nato of returning to "cold war-era reflexes" and "them and us" mentality over recent Georgia summit
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Wednesday, 17, Sep 2008 12:54
Russia has accused Nato of cold war-era behaviour over a recent high-level visit to Georgia.
The country's foreign ministry said the alliance's trip to Tbilisi to hold the inaugural Georgia-Nato commission had revealed its return to a "them and us" mentality.
A statement published on the ministry's website, translated by the Reuters news agency, said Nato was acting on "cold war-era reflexes".
"We cannot view steps to intensify relations between the alliance and Georgia any other way than as encouragement for new adventures," the message said.
"We believe the alliance's session in Tbilisi in the current conditions was not timely and does not help stabilisation in the region."
Nato secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the alliance's 26 envoys travelled to Georgia this week to bolster Tbilisi's Nato membership bid.
The trip had been arranged before last month's ten-day conflict between Georgia and Russia.
Georgian shelling of breakaway province South Ossetia prompted Moscow to pour troops, tanks and fighter jets across the border.
Both sides accused each other of genocide during the conflict, which was followed by official recognition of South Ossetia and fellow rebel region Abkhazia as independent states.