Azernews.Az

NATO regrets that Russia does not provide information on the "Caucasus-2012" exercises, planned to be held near the Georgian border, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an interview with "Euronews" TV channel Thursday.

Rasmussen stressed that NATO is not against the exercises, but urges Russia for transparency.

"We think that the exchange of information about the exercises as the foundation of mutual trust, because we need to know the purpose of the exercises, where and how they will be conducted," he said. "We have not received any official information from Russia. We are very sorry about this."

Rasmussen has also raised the issue of Georgia's membership in NATO, saying that any country has the right to voluntarily decide to join the alliance.

"We adhere to the basic principle prescribed by the countries of the Euro-Atlantic area in the OSCE Charter in 1999," he added. "The right of each country to resolve the issue of joining the Alliance has been clearly determined there. I hope Russia remembers this."

NATO Secretary-General said that Georgia will decide to join or not to join NATO.

"Georgia has already confirmed this interest," he said. "NATO made a decision at the Bucharest Summit in 2008 that Georgia will be in its ranks, of course, if it meets the necessary conditions."