Scheffer: No 'special solidarity' with Baltics

RIGA - NATOSecretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said that the military alliancewill not show the Baltics any "special solidarity," but pledged that it woulddo whatever was necessary to protect its territory.

"I think given NATO's [position], there is no need to showspecial solidarity with the Baltics. As I said, NATO for almost 60 years isfunctioning very well as a highly effective alliance, and nobody should doubtthat this alliance, if necessary, will do what is necessary," Scheffer said. 

Scheffer made the comments at a press conference in Riga following meetings with Latvian president Valdis Zatlers and foreign ministersfrom all three Baltic states.

The NATO head was sure to mention, however, that theorganization did not see Russia as a threat. 

"We have our fundamental differences with the Russian federation, we had them already before theywere embarking on disproportionate force in Georgia,and did their bad things in Georgia,but we do not consider Russia a threat," he said.

President Zatlers, meanwhile, reaffirmed the country'scommitment to NATO by emphasizing that all Latvian bases were a part of thealliance. 

"NATO is here, and Latvian bases are NATO bases. So we havea common area to defend, we are in a collective defense system," the presidenttold journalists after meeting with Scheffer.

The NATO head said that the trip had been preplanned, butthat he had taken to opportunity to discuss the situation in Georgia.Scheffer's trip coincided with a international naval training mission known as"Open Spirit 2007." 

The naval training exercise involved nine warships hailingfrom Belgium, France, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. Morethan 500 sailors 's 400 of whom are foreign 's are due to take part in theexercise.

The training mission will take place between Aug. 28 andSept. 14.