NATO summit hijacked by a dispute over a name

3.20.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 4th Apr 2008

Commenting on the conclusions of the NATO summit in Bucharest, local MEP Graham Watson said:

"The NATO summit fell short of offering Ukraine and Georgia a clear roadmap for membership in the form of a Membership Action Plan but I welcome the clear political message that these countries are committed and considered future members of the Transatlantic Alliance."

"Albanian and Croatian accession were confirmed which will contribute to the greater stability of the Balkans region. It is a great pity that atavistic bickering has prevented Greece and FYROM from reaching agreement on a permanent name for Macedonia which resulted in it being denied an invitation to join NATO in Bucharest. It is not NATO's task to solve a dispute over a name but the North Atlantic Council should commit to inviting Macedonia to join as soon as the issue is resolved."