Nato offers Moscow talks

The Nato alliance, taken aback by Russia's postponement of a decision on whether to join its Partnership for Peace, yesterday offered talks with Moscow to clear up 'considerable misunderstanding' about the scheme, Reuter reports from Brussels.

The Nato spokesman was reacting to an announcement in Moscow by an aide of President Boris Yeltsin that Russia may take another six or seven months to make a decision on joining the alliance's showpiece co-operation agreement.