Brussels: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has suspended ties with Russia until Moscow withdraws its forces from Georgia, and the United States warned that Russia would not be allowed to re-establish Soviet-era borders.

Signs of hostilities were abating with the Russian troops slowly withdrawing from undisputed parts of Georgia, but the 26-member NATO alliance strongly urged Russia to "take immediate action to withdraw its troops from the area." "The NATO-Russia Council meetings would be placed on hold until Russia adhered to the ceasefire, and the future of our relations will depend on the concrete actions Russia will take to abide by the peace plan," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said at a press conference.

"We are not closing doors. ... But we cannot continue with business as usual, ... As long as Russia does not commit to the principles upon which we agreed to base our relationship." US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement from the emergency meeting of NATO foreign ministers that the military alliance was "not going to permit a new line to be drawn in Europe."

"It s time for the Russian president to keep his word to withdraw back to the status quo ante of Aug 6-7," before fighting broke out in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia, Rice said.

Medvedev had first promised a withdrawal more than one week ago. NATO decided to create a new commission for dialogue with membership-hopeful Georgia. While welcoming the move, Georgia's Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze said that the NATO decision on Russia could not be an "isolated" statement and must mark the beginning of a political process within the alliance to make it clear to Moscow there will be a price to be paid for the invasion. Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin accused the United States of helping Georgia plan its attack on South Ossetia. "

Source : IANS