Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has warned Russia would watch closely situation involving NATO’s planned exercise in Georgia and would “take one or another decision if there is need for that.”

Nineteen NATO member and partner countries plan to hold military exercise in Georgia from May 6 to June 1.

“I believe that this is not a right decision, this is a dangerous decision,” Medvedev said on April 17 at a joint news conference with visiting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“When a military bloc carries out exercises close to those areas, where there has been high level of tension just recently and where the situation still remains uneasy, it poses risk of different kinds of complications,” Medvedev said.

“We can imagine a situation wherein this kind of exercises are held, let’s say, in Middle East, North Korea or somewhere else, where increased tensions are observed.”

“Of course it creates problems for those, who are watching the situation with anxiety. I am sure that it will not add positive emotions either to the people of South Ossetia or the people of Abkhazia, because this kind of actions is obviously aimed at muscle flexing, at build-up of military component and in a situation wherein in the Caucasus everything is already in tense condition, this decision appears to be short-sighted and not partner-like, if we talk about relations between Russia and NATO.”

“Such decisions are disappointing and do not facilitate the resumption of full-scale contacts between the Russian Federation and NATO. We will follow what happens there in the most thorough manner and take one or another decision if there is need for that,” Medvedev added.