OTTAWA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - NATO's hesitation at its April summit to integrate Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance only emboldened Russia to invade Georgia last month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an interview published on Saturday.

"I think if we had taken a stronger position on the membership of these countries, we would not have had the Russian aggression," he told the National Post newspaper.

"I think that showing weakness or hesitation encourages this type of behavior on the part of Russia."

Harper expressed respect for Russia but said whether or not countries join NATO was a decision between the alliance and that country.

"Russia does not have a right to dictate decisions outside its own borders," the Conservative prime minister said.

Canada and the United States had been among those at the Bucharest summit in April advocating offering a membership action plan to Ukraine and Georgia, but they met opposition led by Germany and France.

In the end the NATO summit promised the two countries they could join in the future but the timing was left indefinite.

Russia sent forces into Georgia in August after repelling an attempt by Tbilisi to retake the breakaway, pro-Russian South Ossetia region. (Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Eric Beech)

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