NATO membership is within reach by a matter of weeks. The country is de facto functioning as a NATO member country. We received the invitation, completed the negotiation process very quickly and successfully, and no member state raised any disputed issue of ratification of the protocols, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska said Friday.

She pointed out that the process of ratification of the NATO Protocol of the country was unexpected and very fast, which, according to her, is a rarity for any country.

He said there were still a few countries where ratification processes were in the final stages and expressed the expectation that the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Iceland and the Netherlands would complete the ratification process this fall.