Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the 28-nation alliance was not in competition for the region, in what was seen as a veiled reference to Russia, which regards the former Soviet states as part of its sphere of influence.
"NATO is not competing with anyone. ?€¦ There are other nations and organizations involved in this region, and let the nations in this region decide for themselves what kind of a relationship they want," he told reporters in the Kazakh capital.
"I think Kazakhstan and other nations are interested in having a relationship with NATO, and how far they want to go is up to them," he said after talks at the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
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