The new government is working on the remarks from the Warsaw Summit, by building good neighborly relations, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Dimitrov, during today’s press conference names “Macedonia towards a fully fledged membership into NATO” stating that Macedonia should become a member of the North Atlantic alliance sooner. Within this context, Dimitrov said that Macedonia will increase by 20 % its presence in international missions, and the budget for defense will increase from 1% to 1,7 to 1, 8%.
The US Ambassador, Jess Baily said that in the last year certain changes in the politics both in Macedonia and the region were evident, but what hasn’t changed is the fact that NATO is the bedrock of stability while the members and the partners of the Alliance remain dedicated to the defense as well as to Macedonia’s strategy for an entrance into NATO.
By repeating that the US remains a partner to Macedonia in the process towards a NATO membership, he reminded that an improvement is needed in three areas i.e.e the implementation of the reformatory priorities and the strengthening of the institutions, modernization of the army and retaining good neighborly relations with the countries in the region.
The German ambassador Thomas Norbert Gerberich said that the tensions with Serbia from the past week are just another indicator of the importance to be working diligently on building good neighborly relations. He stressed that the whole case is a product of nationalism and ethnic division that are again on the loose.
-Regardless whether the countries will join NATO, it is especially important for the reforms to be implemented in order for the countries to become competitive. The NATO membership is the goal and the entrance into NATO and EU is the best way for Macedonia to become stable – said Gerberich.
