March 5, 2004 - 17:36 AMT
NATO TO DEVOTE MORE ATTENTION TO CAUCASUS
When seven more countries join NATO, the policy of Partnership will enter a new phase, which will provide for more individualized relations with the partners and more attention to the Caucasus and Central Asia, as reported by Mediamax agency, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stated. In his words, the this phase will include new approaches to the issues of compatibility of forces that will allow to effectively counteract new threats, terrorism specifically. As US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones told earlier, "the Caucasus and Central Asia are situated at the front line of the struggle against terrorism and culture of today's cooperation and compatibility within the framework of Partnership for Peace NATO program is to contribute to our common efforts".