Tag: nato
Macedonia 12.02.19 | 09:27

Slovenia expected to ratify Macedonia’s NATO membership

The Parliament of Slovenia is expected to ratify Macedonia’s accession to NATO today. Speaker Talat Xhaferi is in Ljubljana today and will speak at the Slovenian Parliament. He is also expected to visit Albania on Thursday, when the Albanian Parliament should vote on the accession protocol. Under...

Macedonia 11.02.19 | 12:13

Macedonia’s Government: The letters were removed due to preparations for the NATO flag-raising ceremony

The letters “Government of the Republic of Macedonia” on the facade of the Government building were removed, in order to place the new constitutional name containing the adjective “North” in line with the Prespa Agreement. The government explained that the letters were removed...

Balkans 09.02.19 | 11:28

Foreign Minister Zaharieva hopes Bulgarian Parliament will ratify Macedonian NATO accession as early as next week

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva announced that the Bulgarian Parliament may ratify Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol as early as next week. The Greek Parliament ratified the protocol on Friday evening, as provided among the few Greek obligations in the Prespa treaty. It is in Bulgaria’s...

Macedonia 08.02.19 | 22:21

Despite Zaev’s assurances, NATO likely to use the flag emoji instead of “Macedonian” for a while

After the humiliating display on Wednesday’s accession protocol signing ceremony, when NATO used the Macedonian flag emoji to refer to the Macedonian language, when all other languages were listed by name, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev assured the public that he has been in touch with NATO and that...

Macedonia 08.02.19 | 15:43

Zaev writes to NATO: Use “Macedonian language”

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Friday NATO has been asked to make a correction regarding the omission of term ‘Macedonian language’ at its website. “International institutions recognize the Macedonian language and identity and I believe that with the note we sent it will be corrected....

Macedonia 07.02.19 | 20:25

Zakharova: Macedonia’s NATO membership could curb its independence

Macedonia may prove unable to pursue an independent foreign policy following its accession to NATO, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday. “You will certainly have to pay for the protection by NATO. I already know what the price is for it. It will be...

Macedonia 07.02.19 | 18:47

NATO to use ‘Macedonian language’ once Prespa process ends

NATO will use the term ‘Macedonian language’ once the procedures related to the Prespa Agreement are completed, MIA reports from Brussels. After many reactions in the Macedonian public because on Wednesday, for the first time, during the signing ceremony of the NATO accession protocol, the...

Macedonia 07.02.19 | 13:52

Hungarian Government welcomes Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol

The Hungarian Government welcomed the signing of the NATO accession protocol with Macedonia, and called for its rapid ratification in all NATO member states. This is yet another important step in the accession process of the Republic of North Macedonia and will contribute to strengthen stability and...

Macedonia 07.02.19 | 12:24

Defense Minister Sekerinska insists NATO membership will cost Macedonia only 1.2 million EUR per year

Macedonia spends barely over 1 percent of its GDP for defense, far below the 2 percent NATO requirement. The Government promises to meet the requirement by 2024, which is estimated to increase the defense budget from the current level of 135 million EUR to a little over 200 million EUR. Given this, a...

Balkans 07.02.19 | 11:13

Greek Parliament begins procedure to ratify Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol

Greek Parliament begins deliberating the NATO accession protocol for Macedonia today. Under the Prespa agreement, it is now up to Greece to ratify the protocol, and with that to remove the veto it imposed on Macedonia’s NATO accession in 2008. The protocol, which the Greek Ambassador to NATO signed...

Macedonia 06.02.19 | 15:44

President Ivanov welcomes the signing of the NATO accession protocol, but believes that permanent damage was inflicted on the country

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov welcomed the signing of the NATO accession protocol, but condemned the “lasting damage caused to Macedonia” in order to push the country to this point. The President was always in favor of meeting the strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia. Unfortunately,...

Macedonia 06.02.19 | 14:54

Siljanovska welcomes NATO protocol signing, but says that one injustice was replaced with another

Professor Gordana Siljanovska, who is running for the VMRO-DPMNE nomination for the coming presidential elections, said that the signing of the NATO accession protocol rectifies the injustice of the Greek veto at the 2008 Bucharest summit, but also creates new injustices. The signing of the accession...

Macedonia 06.02.19 | 13:16

Gruevski announces a new battle for the Macedonian name and identity after the country joins EU and NATO

Former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who lives as political emigre in Hungary after being deposed in a “colored revolution” issued a lengthy call for a “new paradigm” in the fight for the Macedonian name and statehood. Its corner stone is to continue the battle from...

Macedonia 05.02.19 | 16:03

Republic of North Macedonia to get a seat at NATO table, without the right to vote

At the invitation of the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, tomorrow, February 6, 2019, will participate in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on the signing of the Accession Protocol for Membership of the Republic...

Macedonia 05.02.19 | 15:34

Greek Parliament to vote on Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol on Friday

The protocol for Macedonia’s accession to NATO will be submitted and will be reviewed by the Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs of the Greek Parliament on Thursday. Greek lawmakers will debate the accession protocol in a plenary session on Friday, followed by a vote, Parliament...

Macedonia 02.02.19 | 15:31

Macedonia to sign NATO Accession Protocol on February 6

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the ceremony for the signing of the Accession Protocol with Macedonia will take place on February 6 in Brussels. “On 6 February we will write history: NATO Allies will sign the accession protocol with the future Republic of North Macedonia together...

Macedonia 01.02.19 | 14:47

NATO plans to invite Macedonia to sign the accession protocol on Wednesday

Macedonia is expected to sign the NATO accession protocol on Monday, reports Radio Free Europe. NATO Governments have determine the text of the protocol, and will hold the signing ceremony on Wednesday, after which it will be sent to the 29 member states for ratification. Greece, who blocked Macedonia’s...

Balkans 30.01.19 | 21:43

EUROACTIV: Greece to be first to open NATO doors for Macedonia

In a symbolic gesture, the Greek government will most probably be the first country to ratify North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol, as it aims to do it by 8 February, sources close to the issue told EURACTIV.com. On 28 January, a NATO spokesperson said the date for signing the accession protocol ...

Macedonia 30.01.19 | 14:21

Bulgarian Government is the first to approve Macedonia’s accession to NATO

The Bulgarian Government accepted the Protocol for accession to NATO for Macedonia and instructed its Ambassador to NATO to sign it. According to the Government, Bulgaria is the first country to approve the signing of the Protocol, which will then be sent for ratification to the Parliament after all...

Macedonia 28.01.19 | 11:19

NATO will prepare accession protocol for Macedonia shortly

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the protocol to admit NATO to the Alliance will be prepared soon. The document will be sent to all NATO member states for ratification, but primarily to Greece, which undertook an obligation to ratify it as soon as it is received. Greece blocked Macedonia’s...

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