NATO asks Macedonia to keep up accession effortsDecember 05, 2008 11:12 AM
TIRANA, Dec 05, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- A senior NATO official said on Friday that Macedonia shouldn't lose its trust in the alliance but keep up its accession efforts instead. NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, who is on a visit to Macedonia, said Macedonia shouldn't feel discouraged by the delay of its admission to the alliance.
TIRANA, Dec 05, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- A senior NATO official said on Friday that Macedonia shouldn't lose its trust in the alliance but keep up its accession efforts instead. NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, who is on a visit to Macedonia, said Macedonia shouldn't feel discouraged by the delay of its admission to the alliance.
Macedonia's efforts to join the club was thwarted by Greece over a 17-year-long name dispute between the two neighbors at NATO Bucharest summit in April. Athens has been opposed to its northern neighbor being called the "Republic of Macedonia", arguing it implies a territorial claim over a Greek northern province also called Macedonia.
"Macedonia is a major player in the Balkans in terms of the reforms and transformation, and NATO hopes for full inclusion of the Balkans into its structure," Di Paola said after talks with Macedonian Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski.
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