The Canadian Foreign Ministry informed that the country has ratified Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol. Canada is the 18th country to ratify the protocol, which was signed after Macedonia was pressured to change its name.

If ratification continues as planned, Macedonia would become the 30th NATO member early next year. Major NATO members yet to ratify it include the US and Turkey, which has raised objections because of the failure of the Macedonian authorities to extradite a group of Fethullah Gulen affiliated activists to be tried for terrorism.