Macedonia was left in bitter disappointment and smoldering fury Thursday after its entry to NATO was denied at the alliance's Bucharest summit.
NATO has confirmed that it will ask Albania and Croatia to join the alliance and delay the membership invitation to Macedonia until some deal can be reached on the name issue between Macedonia and Greece.
"This is a great disappointment that will impede the stability in the Balkans," said Nikola Dimitrov, Macedonia's negotiator in the name dispute talks with Greece, adding that it goes against NATO values.
Greece opposes the name "Republic of Macedonia," arguing that it might lead Macedonia to make territorial claims over its own northern province which is also called the same name.
"We are being punished not because we didn't do our job, but because who we are. We are being punished for our Macedonian identity," news reaching here from the Macedonian capital Skopje quoted Dimitrov as saying.
Macedonian local media Thursday reported that there were fewer Greek citizens entering Macedonia at border crossings and cited local police officials as speculating that this may be due to fear of reprisals.
U.S. President George W. Bush expressed regret Thursday that NATO leaders failed to reach a consensus on inviting Macedonia to join the alliance, urging Macedonia and Greece to resolve the name dispute quickly.
Source: Xinhua
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