Participants of the NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss expanding ties with Ukraine and Georgia. The two countries apparently did not receive offers to join the action plan on membership in the alliance, but will be able to count on the special partnership program.

During the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Tuesday, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the North Atlantic alliance agreed to partially resume its cooperation with Russia, interrupted after the war in the Caucasus.

According to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the work of the Council of the Russia-NATO "will not be renewed, but the planned talks at a lower diplomatic level.

"The NATO-Russia Council will hold an informal meeting to discuss not only issues on which our view is the same, but I would like to add, and those on which it diverges," - said Sheffer journalists

During the summit, as it became clear that NATO does not intend to offer Kiev and Tbilisi the right to join the action plan on membership - a formal procedure prior to entry into the military bloc.

In return, NATO will invite Ukraine and Georgia, an annual program of cooperation involving the Governments of these countries in implementing the reforms necessary for eventual accession to the alliance in the future.

The prospect of membership

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, in this regard noted that the decisions the summit organization in Bucharest, during which Kiev and Tbilisi had been promised the prospect of membership remain valid.

"The conversation centered is that once these countries will become members of NATO - of course, if they so wish - as soon as they meet the requirements of the new members of the alliance," - said Sheffer.

On Wednesday in Brussels to be held regular meeting of the "Ukraine-NATO" and the first meeting "Georgia-NATO Foreign Ministers. It is expected that these consultations and will discuss bilateral cooperation programs alliance with Kiev and Tbilisi.

Before the summit, some experts did not rule out that the U.S. and countries in Eastern Europe, supports the desire of the Ukrainian and Georgian authorities to join NATO, will seek to Kiev and Tbilisi have been the prospect of membership and without MAP.

Sheffer, however, stressed that "PDCH that evening evaporates, thus making it clear that the two countries may at some point to join the process.

Experts note that the position of many NATO countries on relations with Ukraine and Georgia has changed significantly since the Russian-Georgian armed conflict.

Germany, France and Italy suggested that NATO does not take dramatic rapprochement with Tbilisi and Kiev to avoid causing further discontent in Russia.

Moscow's veto?

Moscow has always strongly opposed the expansion of the North Atlantic alliance, but after the events in the Caucasus its relations with NATO - and with Western countries in general - has deteriorated sharply.

Now, according to observers, Alliance agreed to make some concessions Russia, so as not to provoke it to the further deepening of the confrontation.

However, it sends a correspondent of BBC in Brussels, NATO least wants Russia agreed that could veto the entry into an alliance of those or other countries.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who on Wednesday sent from Brussels to India, noted that after the war in the Caucasus, NATO can not go back to the old relationship with Russia.

"It's not a question of isolating Russia. This is an issue that united, unified alliance must tell Russia that its actions in the occupation of Georgia was unacceptable for the alliance," - said Rice.

"By the way, I think that our unity did not allow Russia to realize its strategic objectives - U.S. Secretary of State added. - Georgian government and Georgian democracy remained unharmed, the economy of Georgia is restored. Yes, Russia remains in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, accompanied by loud support Nicaragua and Hamas. "

However, it is clear that Ukraine and Georgia in the foreseeable future is unlikely to become members of NATO and the alliance could offer them only to the promotion, said our reporter.

As the correspondent of Ukrainian service of the BBC in Brussels Bogdan Tsyupin, French government sources, which is similar to the German position, Ukrainians and Georgians are advised to wait so as not to bring to the escalating confrontation with Moscow.

But how much will have to wait? Concrete answers to this question soon to expect difficult to conclude Bogdan Tsyupin.