Budapest  - NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer welcomed Friday's news that Russian troops had completed their withdrawal from Georgia's buffer zone, in accordance with an international deal.

But the secretary general also said it was still too early for NATO to normalize its relations with Russia in the aftermath of the August conflict.

"It is encouraging that Russia seems to be withdrawing its forces back to the pre-conflict lines," de Hoop Scheffer said at a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Budapest.

However, talks of a resumption of direct talks with Russia within the framework of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), frozen since August 19, were still "premature."

Some allies had suggested that the NRC could be reconvened at a NATO defence ministers' meeting due to take place in Poland in February.

But de Hoop Scheffer said: "We are definitely not in the situation where we go back to business as usual (with Russia)."

"It seems premature now to conclude that there will be an NRC in Krakow, as it seems premature to conclude that there will be the opposite," he added.

The NATO chief said the outcome of such discussions would largely depend on reports compiled by the European Union's observation team, which has been tasked with monitoring a September 8 peace deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana had earlier confirmed that Russia had withdrawn its troops from Georgia's buffer zones, in line with the agreement.

"I am happy to announce that EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) patrols have confirmed that Russian armed forces have completed their planned withdrawal from the areas adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Solana said in a statement.

But NATO has made it clear that Russia should also respect Georgia's territorial integrity - a demand that has been undermined by Moscow's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and by its decision to strengthen its presence in the two breakaway enclaves.

In Budapest, de Hoop Scheffer also expressed "surprise" at criticisms from Russian Foreign Minister Dmitry Lavrov, who on Thursday slammed a "secret" cooperation agreement signed in September by NATO and the United Nations.

"Our Russian partners were extensively briefed," the NATO chief said. "I do not understand why this sudden criticism."

Part of the NATO meeting in Budapest was devoted to the alliance's efforts to help Georgia recover from the August conflict with Russia.

NATO is to provide "advice" and "guidance" to Georgia's military, but not weapons.

The NATO-Georgia meeting, the first of its kind at ministerial level, was also attended by Georgian Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili.

Kezerashvili said he hoped his country's "continued good performance" would enable it move towards obtaining an Membership Action Plan (MAP) to join the alliance "in the nearest future."

But de Hoop Scheffer said ministers had not discussed Georgia's MAP on Thursday, noting that a first assessment would not be made until NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels in December.

Georgia's membership aspirations have divided the alliance and have infuriated Moscow, with some analysts suggesting NATO's expansion plans were one of the driving forces behind the Russian invasion of its smaller neighbour. (dpa)