US Deputy Secretary of State: Macedonia should focus on NATO and EU

Macedonian leadership should focus on the reward and that’s a solid future within NATO and EU, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told Voice of America.

Commenting the name dispute with Greece, Steinberg said the United States would fully support courageous decision-making by the Macedonian leadership.

He added that Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has to make tough decisions. It’s difficult when you know which is your first choice, and to try to find a common ground, but I think that it’s important that the Macedonian leadership focuses on the reward – and that is a solid future within NATO and EU, which is quite luring,” Steinberg said in an interview with Voice of America’s Eurasia Division.

Steinberg supported the efforts by the UN mediator Matthew Nimetz, saying he continues to play an important role. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou sent a positive signal with his vision of the Balkans’ integration into the European Union by 2014, showing that he truly supports Macedonia’s future within EU and NATO, Steinberg added.