FYROM’s NATO membership not on Chicago agenda

Despite a painstaking diplomatic campaign by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the issue of the Balkan country’s possible NATO membership will not be on the agenda of the organization’s two-day summit starting on Sunday in Chicago, reports said Friday.

Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav republic will start once there is a mutually acceptable solution to the country’s name dispute with Greece.

Meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias this week, Greek party leaders agreed Athens should stick with its veto policy should the issue be brought up by the allies.

Greece will be represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis and Defense Minister Fragos Fragoulis, both members of the recently-appointed caretaker cabinet.

The military alliance’s strategy in Afghanistan will be the main agenda item for the Chicago summit.

Ekathimerini.com