NATO has reaffirmed its support for Georgia over the recent war with Russia, but is holding out on a start date for membership talks for the former Soviet state.

General-Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer led a high level delegation to Tbilisi to discuss Georgia’s aims of eventually joining the military alliance. There will be further talks at a summit in December.

“This Nato Georgia council will discuss Georgia’s trajectory, as I have indicated. It will speak about the assistance NATO can give Georgia. It will deepen our political dialogue and I think that is a very good result,” Scheffer said.

Scheffer described Russia’s military response to Georgia’s attempt to retake the breakaway South Ossetia region as “disproportionate.” The meeting came as Russian troops were expected to complete a withdrawal from Georgia, in line with an EU brokered six-point peace plan.

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