Kazakhstan, Estonia and Latvia will not participate in NATO exercises in Georgia

Kazakhstan, Estonia and Latvia will not accept participation in NATO exercises in the territory of Georgia, which plans to involve the forces of 19 NATO countries and the partners of the Alliance, "Kazakhstan Today" agency reports citing the Russian television channel Vesti.

The Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan, Danial Ahmetov, said, "We never agreed to take part in the exercises. Therefore, I consider it premature to speak about participation of our contingent of military personnel in the exercises."

Moscow had already called the forthcoming exercises provocative. The President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that maneuvers of the Alliance in the territory of Georgia will lead to various complications and will not assist renewal of cooperation between Russia and NATO. The representative at the Alliance, Dmitry Rogozin, warned Russia that Moscow will refuse renewal of contacts to the Alliance at the military level if the exercises take place, Vesti reminded.

gazeta.kz