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U.S. studies another path for Georgia to join NATO
Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:01pm EST
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By Arshad Mohammed and Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is studying whether NATO could offer Georgia something short of a formal path to membership to take account of European opposition, U.S. and European officials said on Thursday.
The Western security alliance decided at its April summit not to offer Georgia a formal Membership Action Plan because of European objections that have only intensified since Russia's invasion of its southern neighbor in August.
The summit communique asserted that Georgia and Ukraine "will become members of NATO" but postponed any decision on a Membership Action Plan, or MAP until NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels on December 2-3.
Germany and France argued in April that offering Georgia such a road map could provoke Russia and some European officials fear it could draw NATO into conflict with Russia, which views Georgia as falling within its sphere of influence.
The Bush administration, its influence waning in its final months, fears that formal MAP status for Georgia is probably impossible in December but hopes that some elements could be repackaged under another name.
"People are looking for ways to do that," said a senior official who asked not to be named. "Whether we end up finding a mechanism to do that, that's the outstanding question."
Another U.S. official referred to a membership plan for Georgia in the past tense, although he declined to say whether the United States was looking at alternatives.
A European official said some U.S. officials feared they could split the alliance by forcing the issue.
The MAP program was created in 1999 to support prospective NATO members while they make political, economic, military and legal reforms necessary to join.
U.S. NATO envoy Kurt Volker said last month the Georgian membership issue had become highly politicized and hinted at an openness to alternatives.
"MAP is not membership, MAP is a tool for helping countries reform. I think it has taken on a political life bigger than what the MAP actually is," Volker said, adding that NATO was fundamentally committed to letting Georgia in eventually.
Charles Kupchan, a White House national security council official under former President Bill Clinton, said outside analysts were discussing ways of "finessing" the issue.
"It is quite likely that NATO will decide to undertake some of the steps that MAP entails, except it just won't call it MAP," said Kupchan, who now teaches at Georgetown University.
"Those would include investment in and upgrades to the Georgian military, so that it eventually will meet NATO standards," he said.
He said the White House could not force its viewpoint on an alliance of 26 whose members take decisions by consensus. Continued...
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