Macedonians hope to enter NATO soon: They said from the alliance that they are expecting negotiations first

Macedonia will certainly receive an invitation for NATO membership at the next summit in July, but it won't go easily with joining the EU, not because of Skopje, but due to the unpreparedness of the Union, and all of its members, Macedonian MKD portal writes, quoting its sources.

The protests are still ongoing because of the new name of Macedonia: Skopje and Thessaloniki have risen, there are people who are arrested (PHOTO)

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- Your country will be invited to join NATO. It'll be easier. NATO Secretary General has been informed by the Greek authorities that there is no problem after the agreement on the new name, Minister Nikos Kotzias officially sent a letter to both NATO and the EU. So there will be no problem when the agreement comes into force - said the same source from MKD.

The problem is not expected in Greece either, as it is quite certain that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will provide 151 members to ratify the agreement with Skopje on the new name of Macedonia.

According to the same source, the problem with the start of negotiations on EU membership is the unpreparedness of the Union itself, most of all its members at the moment.

The source explains that this unpreparedness of the Union and the member states is more due to Albania than to Macedonia.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

- It is important for the two countries to split up and make a decision on the merits and what is done in each of them, according to the individual fulfillment of conditions, and not in the package - the unnamed interlocutor of MKD said.

It is important to use the strong international support that the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev currently has. 

It seems that France is currently the biggest obstacle in the EU. French Ambassador Christian Timonie in a statement to MKD says that in Paris there is still a discussion about what President Emmanuel Macron will tell the President of the EU Council.

NATO GENERAL SECRETARY EXPECTED NEGOTIATIONS

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today that he expects the leaders of this military alliance to decide at the next summit whether to officially start negotiations on Macedonia's accession to the association. 

Foto: nato.int

- I expect and hope that NATO leaders will decide at the summit to start membership negotiations - Stoltenberg said, AP reported.

This decision was made after Athens and Skopje signed a historic settlement agreement on the name issue of Macedonia.

The NATO summit, which will be attended by US President Donald Tramp, will take place on July 11 and 12.

VIDEO: Macedonians do not want a new name for their country

(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)