MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia's membership in NATO will seriously affect Russia's interests and have a negative impact on the situation in the problem-ridden regions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with Interfax ahead of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's visit to Russia.
The Russian authorities have always been negative about NATO's eastward expansion plans, he said.
Commenting on Georgia's possible accession to NATO, Grushko said, "Any enlargement of military-political unions entails considerable changes in the sphere of security."
"The admission of Russia's nearest neighbors to the alliance will seriously affect our political, military and economic interests and have a negative effect on the fragile situation in the problem-ridden districts," the high-ranking diplomat said.
"The experience of previous enlargements shows that countries that enter the alliance try to resolve their problems by various methods, including by placing them within the context of Russia-NATO relations," Grushko said.
"In Georgia's case, all these fears, unfortunately, have received additional confirmation. Steps being taken by NATO to accommodate Tbilisi's needs have been interpreted by the Georgian authorities as an incentive to pursue a confrontational policy toward Russia," he said.