The North Atlantic Treaty Organization must review its relations with Russia and update the alliance's defense strategy in the light of the Georgia crisis, Poland's defense minister said in comments published Friday.
"We must carry out a complete review of our relations with Russia and redefine them," Bogdan Klich told the daily newspaper Dziennik, as he met with defense ministers from 26 NATO states at an informal summit in London Friday.
"The evaluation of threats prepared by NATO staff must be updated to take into account the consequences of the Russo-Georgian conflict," he said. "The principle objective of the alliance, which remains the defense of member states cannot be diluted," Klich added.
Klich also stressed that NATO defense planning had to take into account the needs of central Europe, especially Poland.
He urged NATO to engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve "frozen conflict" in the former Soviet Union, such as Transdniester.
The majority Russian-speaking region, located along the Dniester River between Moldova and Ukraine, broke away from Moldova in 1990 and has since fought for independence. Russian troops are present in the territory.