On August 19 2008, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin will take part in a special informal meeting of Nato's North Atlantic Council at the level of foreign ministers, dedicated to the situation in Georgia, the press service of the Foreign Ministry announced.
The meeting will be held at the military alliance's headquarters in Brussels and will start at 10am local time.
The allies are expected to discuss how to respond to the Russian intervention in Georgia, the BBC reported, saying that while Britain, the US, Canada and most Eastern European countries will probably be uncompromising in their call for a strong stand against Russia, France and Germany will seek a milder tone towards their vital economy and energy partner.
The meeting of Nato's foreign ministers was requested last week by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who is expected to plead for a very harsh response towards America's former Cold War enemy.
Hostilities in Georgia broke out late on August 7, when Tbilisi ordered ground troops to wrestle back control of the break-away region of South Ossetia, which remains unrecognised but has been enjoying Russia's staunch support. Initial gains, however, were quickly lost after Russia retaliated in force.
On August 12, an European Union-brokered cease-fire was signed to put an end of the military actions. Georgia soon complained that in spite of what they had agreed on in the truce, Russian forces were still on its territory and were not withdrawing.
Russian troops are still on Georgia's territory, as it has been for the past ten days, Georgian ambassador to Bulgaria Mikheil Ukleba told a news conference in Sofia on August 18.
Russia's intervention in Gerogia is largely seen as a move showing its disagreement with its small southern neighbour's efforts to join Nato, which was encouraged by the alliance at a summit in Bucharest back in April, promising Georgia it would join its structures in the future.
After the Nato meeting, Bulgaria's Kalfin will host an informal meeting of the New Group of Georgia's Friends in Brussels, which will be attended by Georgian foreign minister Eka Tkeshelashvili, the Foreign Ministry said.
