Russia warns NATO on manoeuvres

Russia: Russia announced on Saturday that it would respond, if necessary, to the maneuvers organized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Georgia, which it considers dangerous for regional security.

After calling the military exercises in the surrounding areas of the Russian borders dangerous, incorrect, and nearsighted, President Dmitri Medvedev said they do not contribute to a rapprochement between the bloc and his country.

He said to be convinced that those NATO exercises in an area where there were high-level tensions a short time ago, with a situation that is still difficult, are threatening to cause a greater escalation of all sorts of complications.

He said that it was the same as those maneuvers performed in the Middle East or the Korean peninsula, rejecting the decision by the western alliance.

Medvedev warned that Russia would monitor closely the situation with the exercises, and if it is necessary, it would adopt relevant measures.

He also warned of counterproductive reactions from the people of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia territories, in conflict with Georgia. NATO announced that it would conduct Cooperative Longbow09-Cooperative Lancer09 maneuvers from may 6 to June 1, close to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. Rogozin demanded that the bloc's general secretary cancel or delay the trainings, in which 19 countries would participate.

Moscow, Prensa Latina