Macedonia should accomplish more to achieve NATO aspiration

Macedonia has more jobs to do on its way to join the NATO and they should be completed within next six months before the alliance starts to review the aspirant's status, a high U.S. official warned in Skopje on Thursday.

Daniel Fried, visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, pointed out that the implementation of the Framework Agreement, economic reforms, and the battle against organized crimes and corruption are Macedonia's top priorities in the next six months, news reaching here from Skopje reported.

"The U.S. wants Macedonia to be the strongest possible candidate for the NATO membership and Skopje's leadership knows how to tackle the challenges ahead," Fried told a press conference after he held separate talks with Macedonia's president and its prime minister.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said that he would devote all his energy into reforms, asking fro support and cooperation from the country's all political parties, Makfax, Macedonia's independent news agency, reported.

Macedonia, along with Albania and Croatia, has been struggling to join the NATO and it hope it will receive invitation to join the club by 2008.

Source: Xinhua