An NATO high official said on Monday that Macedonia has been making significant progress on its way to join the alliance, news from Skopje reported.
"Macedonia has made substantial progress. You have managed to avoid conflicts and take the right path," Jose Lelo, President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly, said Monday at the Macedonian Parliament.
He said that the success is a result of the commitment and patience of Macedonian leadership and society, which promoted harmonious relations among multi-ethnic communities in the country.
However, Lelo said, for Macedonia, there are still lots of work to be done to achieve its NATO ambition, urging Macedonia to do more in the rule of law, respect for minority rights, and fight against corruption and organized crime.
In his talks with Macedonia Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski later Monday, Lelo said that the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece is a bilateral issue, and should be solved under the United Nations auspices and cannot be a stumbling block on Macedonia's road to NATO.
Greece has been opposed to the name of the Republic of Macedonia since the country broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Greece says the name of Macedonia implies a claim the tiny western Balkan country on the northern Greek province of Macedonia and could destabilize the region.
On the issue of Serbia's southern breakaway province of Kosovo, Lelo expressed concern over possible status quo or unilateral declaration of the province's independence, saying both options may lead to unpredictable consequences.
However, he added that it would be good to find a solution, acceptable for both Serbia and Kosovo, which has been run by the United Nations since mid-1999, when NATO-led forces halted Serbian military campaign in the mainly Albanian province.
Source:Xinhua
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