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Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine | Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine |
(20 minutes later) | |
Nato has confirmed it will not yet offer membership to Georgia or Ukraine but agreed to review the decision on the ex-Soviet republics in December. | |
The alliance also said it would not invite Macedonia to join amid protests from Greece over Macedonia's name. | The alliance also said it would not invite Macedonia to join amid protests from Greece over Macedonia's name. |
But at a summit in Romania, Nato said Balkan neighbours Albania and Croatia would be asked to join the alliance. | |
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that hundreds of extra troops would be sent to Afghanistan. | |
On the sidelines of the meeting, US and Czech officials reached agreement on the siting of a missile defence radar on Czech territory, a suggestion that has angered Russia. | |
'Disappointment' | |
The announcements came after a night of diplomatic wrangling over new members which poisoned the summit atmosphere, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus in Bucharest. | |
US President George W Bush had called for Georgia and Ukraine to be allowed to join. | US President George W Bush had called for Georgia and Ukraine to be allowed to join. |
But the move was opposed by Germany and France and effectively blocked, since Nato must agree unanimously on new members. | But the move was opposed by Germany and France and effectively blocked, since Nato must agree unanimously on new members. |
Macedonian officials said the rejection was a "huge disappointment" that would undermine stability in the Balkans. | Macedonian officials said the rejection was a "huge disappointment" that would undermine stability in the Balkans. |
Georgian diplomats earlier said the expected "no" would be a victory for Russia, which has voiced concerns at Nato's eastward expansion. | Georgian diplomats earlier said the expected "no" would be a victory for Russia, which has voiced concerns at Nato's eastward expansion. |
US calls for Macedonia to join were opposed by Greece, which has a northern province that is also called Macedonia. | |
It contended that the former Yugoslav republic's insistence on being known as Macedonia implied a territorial claim. |