NATO will not revoke its pledge made to Georgia and Ukraine and both countries will join NATO one day, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary-General Aurelia Bouchez said here on Thursday, according to Hungary`s News Agency MTI.

    Addressing a NATO conference in Hungarian parliament, Bouchez said NATO needs Russia as a partner at the same time. "We should not make a choice between NATO enlargement and Russia as we need both," she added.

    Bouchez emphasized that NATO`s military transformation should result in more flexibly deployable forces.

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    Bouchez said there is no point in handling NATO and European defense policies separately. She said NATO and the EU should focus on cooperation rather than rivalry.

    Bouchez pleced a high value on Hungary`s military presence in Afghanistan.

    Hungary`s Defense Minister Imre Szekeres stressed the need for a new financing scheme for NATO missions, where participant states share costs. He said Hungary`s reconstruction team would continue its mission in Afghanistan`s Baglan province and would join further military missions, too.

    Hungary will celebrate its 10th anniversary of NATO membership in 2009, when NATO will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Xinhua