The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will be invited to join NATO when it resolves the name issue with Greece, as the Bucharest Summit Declaration of 2008 has set out, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said on Friday following a meeting of the alliance members’ foreign ministers.
The NATO statement, issued on 3 April 2008 recognizes FYROM’s “efforts to build a multi-ethnic society (?) but the Alliance has noted with regret that these talks have not produced a successful outcome.” It adds, “an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will be extended as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue has been reached.”
Kotzias added that FYROM has got to realize that “it must agree to the erga omnes” prerequisite of a name “and then we will proceed to a comprehensive, positive agreement.”
On the sidelines of the NATO meeting, Kotzias met separately with his counterparts from Norway, Albania and Turkey.
