Brussels - NATO expects "ever stronger cooperation" from US president-elect Barak Obama at a crucial time for the transatlantic alliance, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Wednesday.

"Today's security challenges require an ever stronger cooperation and solidarity between Allies, and I look forward to the role the United States will continue to play in this regard under president-elect Obama's leadership," the NATO chief said in a statement.

Pristina - The United States will continue to take part in the international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo regardless of the outcome of its presidential election, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Tuesday.

"Regardless who the winner of the elections will be, I don't expect any change regarding United States policy towards Afghanistan and Kosovo," he said in Pristina after meeting with Kosovo officials.

Islamabad, Nov 2 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the ongoing US’ air raids were “disastrous” in the eyes of the world, and that he would soon take up the matter with the US’ ambassador Anne Patterson.

Asking the world leaders to dissuade NATO and US forces from such incursions, Gilani said claimed that Afghan President Hamid Karzai had also assured him that he would take up the matter with NATO.

Riga - The foreign and domestic policies of the Russian government continued to receive a mauling in the Latvian capital, Riga, Saturday with a trio of presidents joining other political figures in criticism of the Kremlin at a NATO-sponsored conference.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia claimed former Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him "he would make us Northern Cyprus" long before territorial disputes in South Ossetia turned into armed conflict in August.

Riga- The foreign and domestic policies of the Russian government continued to receive a mauling in the Latvian capital, Riga, Saturday with opposition political figures and international relations experts lining up to criticize the Kremlin at a NATO- sponsored conference.

Speaking Saturday afternoon, Boris Nemtsov, a one-time deputy prime minister of Russia under Vladimir Putin and now a leading opponent of his former boss, said: "Putinism means monopoly. Monopoly means corruption, no competition and no transparency."

Oslo - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held talks Wednesday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg that touched on Tbilisi's aim of joining NATO in future.

The two also discussed developing energy cooperation and Norwegian support for various reform programmes, Stoltenberg told a joint news conference.

Concerning Georgia's prospects of joining NATO, Stoltenberg said "the door is open," citing the decision taken by NATO leaders at a summit in Bucharest in April.

"What we are discussing is the timetable, the development and reforms that are needed in Georgia," Stoltenberg said, adding that NATO and Georgia were in "close dialogue."