PARIS ( 2008-04-01 15:58:26 ) :
France opposes allowing Ukraine and Georgia into Nato, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Tuesday on the eve of an alliance summit in Bucharest that is to consider their membership.
"We are opposed to the entry of Georgia and Ukraine because we think that it is not a good answer to the balance of power within Europe and between Europe and Russia," said Fillon in an interview to France Inter.
His remarks coincided with a visit to Kiev by US President George W. Bush, who said on Tuesday that Washington "strongly supports" Ukraine's accession and that Georgia also should be allowed to take a step toward Nato membership.
"France has a different view from the United States on this issue," said Fillon.
"We want to have a dialogue with Russia on this subject and that is what the president will say in Bucharest" during the Nato summit opening on Wednesday, he added.
Russia has warned that allowing Ukraine to move toward Nato membership would have a negative impact on European security and create a serious crisis in relations between Moscow and Kiev.
Albania, Croatia and Macedonia hope to receive invitations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) at the summit. Georgia and Ukraine have applied for a Membership Action Plan (MAP), which prepares nations for entry.
