Russia to Respond to Attempts to Drag Georgia Into NATO - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia will take measures to any attempt to make Georgia a NATO member.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia is ready to respond to any attempt to make Georgia a NATO member, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

The Russian top diplomat said he had discussed “the non-stop process to drag Georgia into NATO” with his South Ossetian counterpart David Sanakoyev.

"Naturally, if these measures start to take practical shape – evidently, this process has already begun – we will take measures to prevent negative effects of these developments,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov and Sanakoyev stressed the need to adopt legally binding agreements to secure stability in the South Caucasus to avoid repetition of the 2008 armed conflict between Russia and Georgia.

During the NATO summit in Wales last September, the alliance members agreed to facilitate Georgia's pursuit for NATO membership. The measures include opening of a training center for NATO troops and alliance partners on the Georgian territory.

Georgia and NATO started cooperation in 1994, as Georgia joined the Partnership for Peace program. After the 2004 pro-Western revolution, the country started deepening ties with the bloc. Following the 2008 five-day war with Russia, NATO said Georgia would join the alliance in the future if it adhered to the bloc's standards.

Russia has repeatedly underscored that NATO expansion toward its borders could further aggravate tensions and undermine regional security.