British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reiterated support for Georgia Friday as Nato defence ministers resumed talks aimed at agreeing how to respond to Russia's invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour.
Brown met Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze in his Downing Street Office, as the Nato ministers including US Defence Secretary Robert Gates held a second of closed-door talks nearby overshadowed by the Russia-Georgia crisis.
"We have been able to say to him that we are in full support of the territorial integrity of Georgia and we will be giving financial and economic support to Georgia, and urging other countries to do so," said Brown.
"We will be working with our European partners to ensure that there is sufficient support for the reconstruction of Georgia," he added, speaking after the talks with Gurgenidze.
The Georgian premier was also due to meet Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Chancellor Alistair Darling. Georgian efforts to become part of Nato have infuriated Russia, which objects to the prospect of its old Cold War foe extending so close to its borders.
The meetings came after both Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates spoke cautiously Thursday on how to respond to Russia following the conflict last month.
The chief of the military alliance said he foresaw "no U-turn in Nato policy" despite uncertainty about Russian intentions and said the Georgia conflict would not be resolved "if we seek to punish Russia".
Gates, meanwhile, urged Nato to avoid provocation in its response to Russia, adding he thought concern among members on the issue "has more to do with pressure and intimidation than it does any prospect of real military action".
"I think we need to proceed with some caution because there is clearly a range of views in the alliance about how to respond, from some of our friends in the Baltics and eastern Europe to some of the countries in western Europe," Gates said Thursday.
Brown told Sky News television that supporting Georgian and Ukrainian membership was "the right thing to do".
"If a sovereign country, free to make its own decisions, wishes to be part of a democratic group that has quite clear principles attached to its membership then we should be prepared to look at that," he said.
Brown met Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze in his Downing Street Office, as the Nato ministers including US Defence Secretary Robert Gates held a second of closed-door talks nearby overshadowed by the Russia-Georgia crisis.
"We have been able to say to him that we are in full support of the territorial integrity of Georgia and we will be giving financial and economic support to Georgia, and urging other countries to do so," said Brown.
"We will be working with our European partners to ensure that there is sufficient support for the reconstruction of Georgia," he added, speaking after the talks with Gurgenidze.
The Georgian premier was also due to meet Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Chancellor Alistair Darling. Georgian efforts to become part of Nato have infuriated Russia, which objects to the prospect of its old Cold War foe extending so close to its borders.
The meetings came after both Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates spoke cautiously Thursday on how to respond to Russia following the conflict last month.
The chief of the military alliance said he foresaw "no U-turn in Nato policy" despite uncertainty about Russian intentions and said the Georgia conflict would not be resolved "if we seek to punish Russia".
Gates, meanwhile, urged Nato to avoid provocation in its response to Russia, adding he thought concern among members on the issue "has more to do with pressure and intimidation than it does any prospect of real military action".
"I think we need to proceed with some caution because there is clearly a range of views in the alliance about how to respond, from some of our friends in the Baltics and eastern Europe to some of the countries in western Europe," Gates said Thursday.
Brown told Sky News television that supporting Georgian and Ukrainian membership was "the right thing to do".
"If a sovereign country, free to make its own decisions, wishes to be part of a democratic group that has quite clear principles attached to its membership then we should be prepared to look at that," he said.
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