Italian FM: NATO cannot renege on its commitments towards Georgia, Ukraine
"NATO can certainly not renege on the 'Open Door' principle and commitments towards Kyiv and Tbilisi taken in 2008 at the Bucharest Summit," said the Italian foreign minister.
Photo: RaiNews.it
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Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio has said that NATO cannot renege on the 'Open Door' policy and its commitments towards Georgia and Ukraine.
Di Maio noted the 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration supports Georgia and Ukraine's bid to become members of the alliance "at a time in the future."
NATO can certainly not renege on the 'Open Door' principle and commitments towards Kyiv and Tbilisi taken in 2008 at the Bucharest Summit, which permit the entry of Ukraine and Georgia at a time in the future. But we know this is a 'red line' for Moscow, he said.
Di Maia added that the Italian government is working to prevent a conflict in Ukraine amid the Russian military buildup at its border.
The Russian Foreign Ministry put forward two proposals on ‘security guarantees’ between Russia, the US and NATO on December 17, which include restrictions on troop, ship, and aircraft deployments for both NATO and Russia, as well limits to the deployment of intermediate and short-range missiles abroad.
On December 10, Russia released a statement demanding NATO member states rescind the commitments towards Georgia and Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg turned down Russia's demands, saying that they violate 'core principles for European security.'
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that NATO’s stance on Georgia and Ukraine is unwavering and that they [partner countries] will tell Russia at NATO-Russia talks today that the alliance’s position towards both countries will not be revised.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the alliance will 'continue to provide support' to Georgia and Ukraine on their way towards Euro-Atlantic integration.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and Polish President Andrzej Duda have expressed their solidarity with Ukraine amid the Russian military buildup at its border at a joint press point yesterday evening. The officials highlighted that Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine is a matter of concern for the international community.
Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian Delegation to the Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control in Vienna, stated earlier today that ‘under no circumstances will Moscow allow the deployment of NATO infrastructure in Georgia and Ukraine.’
Russia has called on NATO member states to rescind the 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration supporting Georgia and Ukraine's bid to become members of the alliance. The statement, issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanded the security guarantees from the United States and its allies.
Italian political party Forza Italia released a statement on Wednesday in response to its member Matteo Dall'Osso’s initiating a press conference around “self-determination” of the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia, saying the event had been a “strictly personal initiative” of the MP and noting it “reflects neither the position of Italy nor of Forza Italia.”