NATO door open to North Macedonia after Spain ratifies accession protocol

NATO
Belgrade, March 17, 2020 (dpa/NAN) Spain says it has ratified North Macedonia’s accession protocol for the NATO defence alliance, Skopje’s Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told a news conference on Tuesday.

The Spanish Senate ratified the protocol unanimously in a videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dimitrov thanked Spain for taking the step under “such difficult circumstances.’’

The step by Spain, the last of NATO’s 30 member states to do so, paves the way for the former Yugoslav republic to formally join the alliance.

That became possible in 2019 when the country ended a long-standing row with Greece by adding the geographic qualifier “North” to its name.

Greece had been accusing the northern neighbour of an attempt to usurp the legacy and even the territory of its ancient province of Macedonia.

Greece has vetoed its accession to NATO and closer ties with the European Union because of it.

“With this we are completing an effort of three decades,’’ Dimitrov said. (dpa/NAN)

ACO/YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim