TEHRAN, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said any use of military force in the Caspian region was unacceptable and Russia backed dialogue in resolving differences on the Caspian Sea. "We should not even think of making use of force in this region," Putin told a summit of five Caspian Sea countries. The summit in Tehran is focused on resolving differences over sharing out the resources of the Caspian Sea but Russian officials say Putin's bilateral talks with Iran will focus on Iran's nuclear standoff with the West. Russia says force should not be an option in the atomic row.
People dressed up as Guantanamo prisoners protest against extending the mission in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, outside the building where a NATO defence ministers meeting is taking place in Noordwijk October 25, 2007. NATO defence ministers agreed on Thursday to scale down the alliance's ambition to keep a 25,000-strong rapid reaction force on standby, ready to intervene in crises around the world. The project was a victim of the pressure on NATO members to maintain a 40,000-strong force in Afghanistan, a mission some argue is proof that NATO is in any case revamping its armies to meet far-flung military challenges. The signs read: "More transparency about Iraq now, no war against Iran, troops out of Afghanistan" and "Wanted, George W. Bush terrorist". REUTERS/Michael Kooren (NETHERLANDS)