TBILISI, Georgia — Diplomats from every NATO nation demanded immediate Russian withdrawal from Georgia in a show of support from the U.S. ally’s capital on Monday that made no promise of faster membership in the alliance.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer led 26 envoys in calling on Moscow to comply with a cease-fire deal and withdraw to positions held before fighting with Georgia erupted Aug. 7.
NATO decided in April not to offer Georgia the first step toward membership, while assuring the country that it would eventually join. De Hoop Scheffer said those decisions stand.
He offered no timetable, saying Monday’s visit would help “assess how to further enhance the NATO-Georgia partnership.”
Georgia, where thousands of Russian troops are deployed, must move forward with democratic reforms, he stressed.
The NATO ambassadors’ trip to Georgia was scheduled long ago.
