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BFF-23
MACEDONIA-NATO-DIPLOMACY-POLITICS-DEFENCE
NATO door opens for Macedonia
BRUSSELS, Feb 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – NATO said Saturday its 29 members will
Wednesday clear the way for Macedonia to become the alliance’s 30th member
following its historic name change.
“On 6 February we will write history: #NATO Allies will sign the accession
protocol with the future Republic of North Macedonia,” said NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg.
Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov would attend the ceremony at
NATO headquarters in Brussels, he added.
“Following the signature of the Accession Protocol, Skopje will be able to
take part in NATO’s activities as an invitee,” a NATO official told AFP.
“The accession process then moves to the capitals of the 29 Allies, where
the Protocol will be ratified according to national procedures. Once that
process is completed the country will become a full member.
“The timeline for this process will largely be driven by the time required
for national ratification procedure in Allied capitals.”
Last month’s accord with Greece to change the name of the former Yugoslav
republic to Republic of North Macedonia ended one of the world’s longest
diplomatic disputes, paving the way for Skopje to join NATO and the European
Union.
Since 1991, Athens had objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia
because Greece has a northern province of the same name. In ancient times it
was the cradle of Alexander the Great’s empire, a source of intense pride for
Greeks.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1752 hrs