Macedonia Wants Both NATO Membership, Friendly Ties With Moscow - Prime Minister

Macedonia Wants Both NATO Membership, Friendly Ties With Moscow - Prime Minister

Macedonia aspires to attain membership in the European Union and NATO, but wants to maintain friendly relations with Russia as well, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said at a press conference on Thursday following talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2018) Macedonia aspires to attain membership in the European Union and NATO, but wants to maintain friendly relations with Russia as well, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said at a press conference on Thursday following talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg is currently on his two-day visit in the Macedonian capital of Skopje, where he is holding meetings with the country's leadership.

"There is no other alternative for our country apart from the full membership in NATO and the European Union. We are a small state, our aim is to build friendly relations with everyone, including Russia, and I hope that our citizens will be free to choose their future," Zaev said.

On July 11, Stoltenberg announced the decision of all the 29 NATO member states to officially invite Macedonia to join the bloc. He specified that it would be possible after Macedonia amended its constitution and enshrined its new official name Republic of North Macedonia in the country's main law. Following the signature of the NATO accession protocol, it should be ratified by all the members of the military bloc.

Following Macedonia's joining NATO, only two Balkan countries Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain neutral.