North Macedonia Officially Joins NATO alliance as 30th Ally

By IndraStra Global News Team

By IndraStra Global News Team

On March 27, 2020, North Macedonia (formerly the Republic of Macedonia) officially became NATO's 30th member upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) with the US State Department in Washington DC. An official statement was released by NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"North Macedonia is now part of the NATO family, a family of 30 nations and almost 1 billion people. A family based on the certainty that, no matter what challenges we face, we are all stronger and safer together," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski said his country could not appropriately mark the event given the current coronavirus pandemic. "But this is a historic success that after three decades of independence finally confirms Macedonian security and guarantees our future," he said. "Congratulations to all of you! We deserve it!"

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the country's membership "will support greater integration, democratic reform, trade, security, and stability across the region.” Pompeo further added, NATO's door remains open "to those countries willing and able to make the reforms necessary to meet NATO's high standards, and to accept the responsibilities as well as benefits of membership."

A flag-raising ceremony for North Macedonia will take place at NATO Headquarters alongside those of the other 29 member states on March 30, 2020, in the presence of the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Delegation of North Macedonia to NATO Zoran Todorov. The flag of North Macedonia will be simultaneously raised at the Allied Command Operations in Mons (Belgium) and at the Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk (US).

PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT

On March 26, 2020, North Macedonia came closer to joining the bloc when EU leaders gave it the green light to begin membership talks. Two years ago, on June 12, 2018, an agreement was reached between Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, known as the Prespa agreement, under which the country would be renamed the "Republic of North Macedonia". As part of this deal, Greece explicitly withdrew its previous opposition, allowing the EU to approve on  June 27, 2018, the start of accession talks with the future Republic of North Macedonia.

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