NATO Reiterates: Macedonia Accession Depends on Name Dispute

NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen gives a press briefing at the start of arrivals for a Nato Defence Council in Brussels , Belgium 18 April 2012. EPA/BGNES

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's NATO accession negotiations will start once there is a mutually acceptable solution to the country's name dispute with Greece, the Alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.

There has been no change in NATO's position concerning the accession of the country ahead of the Chicago summit, Rasmussen has told Radio Free Europe. He reminded that NATO's stance is based on the decision taken at the Bucharest summit in 2008, which called for the start of accession negotiations once the name dispute is resolved.

"Unfortunately, there has not been progress in this direction. Nevertheless, the decision we took four years ago continues to apply," Rasmussen has added.

In December 2011, the International Court of Justice ruled that Greece has been wrong to object to the country's NATO accession in 2008.

The court found that Greece's veto violated a provisonal 1995 deal under which the Balkan country had agreed not to object to ?acedonia's membership in international oanizations if it used the name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or Macedonia, while the matter was submitted to further negotiations.

U.N.'s highest court did not fine Greece, neither did it order it to refrain from similar moves against Macedonia in the future.

Macedonia is registered at international organizations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the name dispute, rather than Republic of Macedonia at Greece's insistence, which fears the name "Macedonia" might spur territorial claims for its northern regions.

Greece and international intermediaries have suggested that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should adopt a name such as "Republic of Northern Macedonia" or "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje", which have been rejected by the Macedonian authorities.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!