US: NATO unlikely to quickly renew Russia contacts

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
NATO is unlikely to follow the European Union in quickly re-establishing contacts with Russia that were suspended after the war in Georgia, senior US officials said Friday. The EU agreed last week to resume negotiations on a major economic and political partnership agreement with Russia despite continued concerns that Moscow has not fully complied with the peace plan that ended the August war. But US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried told reporters in Brussels that "it is difficult for us to go back to business as usual." Some European officials have suggested the alliance should resume regular talks under the NATO-Russia Council which were suspended in protest at Russia's invasion of Georgian territory.