MOSCOW. Nov 3 (Interfax) - NATO respects Ukraine's decision not to join the alliance and is willing to cooperate further with the country, said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Ukrainian government has slightly changed Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic orientation and we respect that, he told a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
NATO accession is a voluntary decision of every country and Ukraine must decide on its own how to build its relationship with this organization, the NATO chief said.
NATO hopes to continue further positive cooperation with Ukraine based on the current policy pursued by the Ukrainian president and government, Rasmussen said.
At the same time, NATO is ready to admit Ukraine as a member should Kyiv decide so, he said.
We reaffirm our decision made at the NATO summit in Bucharest, whereby Georgia and Ukraine will become NATO members should they wish so and meet the required criteria, the NATO secretary general said.