NATO and Russia joined together Thursday to call for a free, fair election in Ukraine after weeks of tension between the West and Moscow over a rigged presidential poll.

"We appealed to all parties to continue to avoid the use or instigation of violence, to refrain from intimidation of voters, and to work to ensure a free, fair electoral process that reflects the will of the Ukrainian people," a joint statement issued after a NATO-Russia foreign ministers' meeting said.

The statement came two days after differences between Russia and the West over Ukraine prevented the adoption of any final communique at a meeting in Sofia of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

"Given the situation, given that in Sofia a few days ago this was not possible, I think this is very important," NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters after NATO foreign ministers met Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov and US Secretary of State Colin Powell clashed over Ukraine at a conference in the Bulgarian capital on Tuesday, with Powell dismissing Russian fears of US interference.

On Wednesday, NATO postponed a long-scheduled meeting between alliance foreign ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart amid the political turmoil in Ukraine.

(China Daily December 10, 2004)