NATO: Doors Remain Open To Macedonia

NATO reiterated that its doors remain opened for Macedonia, but only after a solution to its name dispute with Athens is reached.

“There is not shortcut: we made the decision in Bucharest, that we will start accession talks with Skopje immediately after a mutually acceptable solution is found. I encourage both parties to engage in finding a solution, the sooner the better,” the Alliance head Anders Fogh Rassmussen, said after meeting Macedonia’s Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

“There is no doubt – NATO’s doors are open for Macedonia, but according to the rules in NATO it is necessary for all countries to vote for membership,” Gruevski said.

At NATO’s summit in April 2008, Greece blocked NATO from giving Macedonia an invitation to join the military alliance, pending a solution its 18-year-long name dispute with the country.

Despite being a full NATO member, Macedonia contributes to the Alliance’s mission in Afghanistan. Rasmussen acknowledged the contribution.