NATO Secretary General calls on political leaders in Skopje to continue reform efforts
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday (22 May 2014) stressed that the Alliance’s door to new members remains open and urged political leaders in Skopje to strive to find an acceptable solution on the name issue. “NATO’s door is open. As we agreed at the Bucharest NATO Summit in 2008, you will receive an invitation to NATO once a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue is found,” said the Secretary General. “So I urge you to continue your efforts to strive for a solution. The time is now.”
Mr. Fogh Rasmussen reminded political leaders that integration into NATO is a free choice, but it requires continued reforms, tough decisions and courageous leadership. Thursday’s visit to Skopje reflected the importance the Alliance attaches to its partnership, the Secretary General said. “NATO is committed to the future of the Western Balkans as a natural part of the Euro-Atlantic family. Your security matters to us. Your stability matters to us and your future matters to us,” he said.
The Secretary General held talks with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Poposki, Defence Minister Talat Xhaferi and the President of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) Ali Ahmeti. Mr. Fogh Rasmussen also thanked the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹ for the valuable contributions to NATO-led missions and called on all political leaders to promote inclusive democratic dialogue, saying: “this is the best guarantee of a stable and prosperous future.”
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