Georgia radar deal amid missile row: NATO

Brussels, Aug 23: NATO countries today discussed the need to finalise a plan to share radar data with Georgia as a row between the former Soviet state and Moscow about airspace violations flared again.

NATO agreed in 2003 to a plan to share radar data with Georgia, Albania, Finland, Macedonia and Ukraine, but technical issues still need to be resolved.

An alliance spokeswoman said NATO ambassadors discussed finalising the arrangements with Georgia after further reviewing an incident in which the country accused a Russian jet of dropping a one-tonne missile -- which did not explode -- in a field about 65 km (40 miles) from Tbilisi on August 6.

Military experts from the United States, Sweden, Latvia and Lithuania said last week the missile was dropped by a Russian jet, a charge Moscow rejects.

Today, Georgia's Foreign Ministry said a fighter jet flying from Russia had again violated Georgian airspace, when it flew 5 km (3 miles) into Georgian territory yesterday. Russia also denied this.

Reuters>