Brussels - The deployment of four NATO warships in the Black Sea was planned more than a year ago and has nothing to do with the latest developments in nearby Georgia, the alliance said Thursday.

The statement from Brussels follows expressions of concern by Russian officials at what they call a "buildup" of NATO ships in the area.

"This deployment is routine in nature and has been planned for over a year, notification of the requirement to transit the Turkish Straits was given in June, well before the current Georgia crisis and is completely unrelated," NATO said.

Vienna - At a special meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) that started on Thursday, Georgia's Foreign Minister was set to address Russia's recognition of Georgian separatist regions.

The Permanent Council, the OSCE's decision-making body, would hear Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili's speech and discuss Moscow's recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a source close to the OSCE said.

The body would probably also deliberate on the modalities of sending up to 100 additional observers to Georgia, he said.

Moscow/Brussels - Seventeen years on from the Cold War, Europe and Russia are again on a collision course.

In the first 100 days of Dmitry Medvedev's presidency Europe seized on his liberal rhetoric as the promise of burgeoning economic possibilities. But the war between Georgia and Russia that erupted in the next 10 days sent shockwaves through Europe.

And with Medvedev's decision to recognize the independence of Georgia's two rebel regions on Tuesday - day 111 of his tenure - experts say relations hit a historical turning-point.

That act routed Russia's last advocates in Europe, uniting Western powers in scandalized and impotent demands for Russia to "reverse" its policy.

Washington - Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia violates Georgia's sovereignty, the top industrialized democracies said Wednesday.

"Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia violates the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia," said the G7, which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

The G7 called on Russia to pull its troops back into the disputed breakaway provinces, out of Georgian territory and adhere to an August 11 ceasefire agreement.

Moscow  - Russian newspapers on Wednesday supported President Dmitry Medvedev's decision to recognize the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but expressed fears the move could harm Moscow's relations with the West.

"Goodbye America, Goodbye Europe?" led the popular daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, while business newspaper Kommersant splashed "The President of Russia is ready for confrontation with the West," across its front page.

Most analysts were caught off guard by the president's announcement on Tuesday, expecting the Kremlin to delay such a move and use the threat of recognizing the two Georgian regions to enhance its bargaining position with the West.