29 Jan 2007
During a visit by President Branko Crvenkovski, 29 January, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that the reform process in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1 was on track.
President Crvenkovski visited NATO Headquarters to meet with the Secretary General.
They discussed the country’s progress in the Membership Action Plan and the internal political situation in the country.
“There are no guarantees, if we look at NATO Summit in 2008, that countries will be invited [to join the Alliance],” the Secretary General told reporters, “but the process is on track.”
The Secretary General called on all the political parties in the country to keep “communication channels” open between the government and the opposition.
Mr. De Hoop Scheffer and President Crvenkovski also discussed the ongoing negotiations on the future of Kosovo.
The Secretary General praised the President for his country’s moderate stance on the issue and for its support to NATO’s peacekeeping force in Kosovo and other Alliance operations.
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is one of three countries that part of the Membership Action Plan - a NATO programme of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance.
