Tehran  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday criticized European Union policies in the Caucasus crisis.

"The Europeans should have studied more carefully and made a better assessment of the regional situation and eventually not allowed the crisis to happen at all," Ahmadinejad said at a press conference in Tehran, referring to Europe's support for Georgia's NATO membership.

Referring to Afghanistan, Ahmadinejad said that whenever NATO was involved, "The situation got worse and tensions increased."

The president made his comments after fighting between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia prompted Russia to send in troops to Georgia and then recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26.

Tensions also rose on Russia's opposition to Georgia's bid for NATO membership.

Ahmadinejad has reportedly an initiative for settling the Caucasus crisis and sent Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to Russia, Georgia and Germany to discuss the Iranian peace plan.

Although Tehran has not yet disclosed details of the initiative, Mottaki said Iran aimed to help establish stability and security in the Caucasus by especially pushing countries in the region to not interfere in one another's affairs. (dp)