NATO blames Macedonia for bid rejection

Macedonia must bear responsibility for it’s failure to secure an invitation to join NATO, officials have told BIRN. “Despite all American efforts, the Macedonians did nothing to help their cause,” a senior NATO source told Balkan Insight. NATO blames Macedonia for bid rejection Macedonia will only receive an invitation to join NATO when its "name" dispute with Greece has been resolved. According to some sources, officials in Washington had given “friendly’ advice to Skopje politicians several months ago, suggesting that they change the name of the international airport in Skopje, which was recently given the formal name of “Alexander the Great,” after the famous ancient Macedonian hero. “This would have been a sign of goodwill by the Macedonians, and we would then have had something with which to keep up the pressure,” one senior NATO official said. However, noting that the airport's name had not been changed he concluded that “they didn’t help us to help them.” Greek officials predictably took a similar view. “The government in Skopje was unhelpful during the whole process,” a senior Greek official told Balkan Insight. “We understand the frustration of the Macedonian people but on the other hand we made it clear long ago that we are not bluffing and they kept calling our bluff.” Macedonian officials, who left the NATO summit early, strongly disagreed. “Nobody minded the label ‘Macedonia” on our soldiers uniforms when they were risking their lives along with NATO soldiers,” said Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski after confirmation that the country's NATO bid had failed because of the “name” issue. Miloshoski warned the Balkans could enter a period of turbulence again because of a lack of consensus among NATO member states. “The risks of future instability in the region could be the direct responsibility of Greece,” he said. Only Albania and Croatia were invited to joint NATO, while Macedonia, which had hoped to receive an invitation, was left disappointed. NATO officials said in Bucharest that Macedonia may not have to wait until the next summit before it receives an invitation. “We agreed that an invitation to FYROM will be extended as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the 'name' issue has been reached,” Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said. Athens opposes Skopje’s constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia” arguing that it might lead Skopje to make territorial claims over its own northern province, which is also called Macedonia. Greece also challenges modern Macedonians as being heirs to ancient Macedonian heroes such as Alexander the Great.

NATO blames Macedonia for bid rejection

Macedonia will only receive an invitation to join NATO when its "name" dispute with Greece has been resolved.

According to some sources, officials in Washington had given “friendly’ advice to Skopje politicians several months ago, suggesting that they change the name of the international airport in Skopje, which was recently given the formal name of “Alexander the Great,” after the famous ancient Macedonian hero.

“This would have been a sign of goodwill by the Macedonians, and we would then have had something with which to keep up the pressure,” one senior NATO official said.

However, noting that the airport's name had not been changed he concluded that “they didn’t help us to help them.”

Greek officials predictably took a similar view.

“The government in Skopje was unhelpful during the whole process,” a senior Greek official told Balkan Insight.

“We understand the frustration of the Macedonian people but on the other hand we made it clear long ago that we are not bluffing and they kept calling our bluff.”

Macedonian officials, who left the NATO summit early, strongly disagreed.

“Nobody minded the label ‘Macedonia” on our soldiers uniforms when they were risking their lives along with NATO soldiers,” said Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski after confirmation that the country's NATO bid had failed because of the “name” issue.

Miloshoski warned the Balkans could enter a period of turbulence again because of a lack of consensus among NATO member states.

“The risks of future instability in the region could be the direct responsibility of Greece,” he said.

Only Albania and Croatia were invited to joint NATO, while Macedonia, which had hoped to receive an invitation, was left disappointed.

NATO officials said in Bucharest that Macedonia may not have to wait until the next summit before it receives an invitation.

“We agreed that an invitation to FYROM will be extended as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the 'name' issue has been reached,” Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said.

Athens opposes Skopje’s constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia” arguing that it might lead Skopje to make territorial claims over its own northern province, which is also called Macedonia.

Greece also challenges modern Macedonians as being heirs to ancient Macedonian heroes such as Alexander the Great.