Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned his Ukrainian counterpart that relations between the countries will suffer if the latter joins Nato.

Mr Medvedev told Viktor Yushchenko at talks in St Petersburg that joining Nato would breach a friendship treaty, Russia's foreign minister said.

He also announced Russia would almost double the price of gas exports to Ukraine, blaming Central Asian costs.

The presidents are attending an informal summit of 12 ex-Soviet states.

Mr Medvedev also met Georgia's leader amid rising bilateral tensions.

'Security risks'

The Western-leaning Mr Yushchenko has secured an assurance that Ukraine may be allowed to join Nato Moscow mayor barred from Ukraine ...
'No Russian thaw under Medvedev' ... in the future.

The agreement has angered Russia, which is opposed to any further eastward expansion of the military alliance.

Analysts had been waiting to see if Mr Medvedev's relations with Ukraine and Georgia would be warmer than those under his predecessor, Vladimir Putin.

But the new president stuck to the same line as Mr Putin on Friday, referring to a 1997 friendship treaty between Russia and Ukraine.

"The treaty... contains the obligation on the two parties not to do anything which would create threats or risks for the security of the other party," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.

"This was reiterated by President Medvedev, that we do not believe Nato membership for Ukraine would serve... the interests of the two countries."

Mr Medvedev also warned Ukraine not to expel the Russian navy from the base it leases at Sevastopol on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, as it has threatened to do.

Georgian 'goodwill'

Mr Medvedev said Russia would almost double the price it charges neighbouring Ukraine for gas from 1 January, 2009.

He denied the move was political, saying it was forced by increasing costs in Central Asia.

The two countries have had several recent disputes over gas, with Russia cutting supplies and Ukraine alleging Moscow uses gas as a political weapon.

Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili also met Mr Medvedev on Friday.

Georgia, too, has also been pushing for entry to Nato and the European Union, straining relations with Russia, while tensions have grown over Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.

Russia backs the region's separatists, and both Russia and Georgia have accused each other of preparing for war there.

But Mr Saakashvili insisted on Friday the problem could be resolved with "goodwill", adding: "The current situation is unnatural."

(BBC)

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