North Macedonia, despite not having started accession talks with NATO, will allocate more than 3.1 million euros ($3.5 million) of its budget to purchase a space for its potential permanent mission at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, the North Macedonian government said in a statement on Wednesday
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2019) North Macedonia, despite not having started accession talks with NATO, will allocate more than 3.1 million Euros ($3.5 million) of its budget to purchase a space for its potential permanent mission at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, the North Macedonian government said in a statement on Wednesday.Skopje and representatives of NATO's 29 members signed a protocol on North Macedonia's accession to the alliance in February, but it has yet to be ratified by all member states. In June, US Envoy to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison said that North Macedonia could become a rightful alliance member as early as December. Accession talks are expected to begin in October.
"The government has tasked the Finance Ministry with rebalancing the 2019 budget to provide funds in the amount of 3,116,000 euros, of which 2,316,000 will be used as a one-time payment to NATO for purchasing the North Macedonian mission's premises and 800,000 euros will go toward facilities and refurbishment in installment payments," the statement read.
Additionally, the new 2020 budget will include a surcharge of 500,000 euros for refurbishments, 120,000 euros for utility fees and 7,000 euros for IT services, the statement added.
For North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia), its official name was a major obstacle standing in the way of it joining NATO. Greece, which has a region also called Macedonia, hindered Skopje's accession in a bid to prevent any potential name-motivated sovereignty claims on the latter's part.
In February, the dispute was officially settled with the signing of the Prespa agreement Macedonia was renamed the Republic of North Macedonia, and Greece ended its objections to Skopje's accession to NATO and the European Union.
