Spain clears the way for North Macedonia to join NATO
Spain’s Senate on 17 March approved the accession of North Macedonia into NATO, clearing the way for the Balkan country to become the 30th member of the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded on social media: ‘With that, all allies have welcomed our soon-to-be 30th member.’
North Macedonia had been attempting to join the alliance since 1995 under the Partnership for Peace programme but it was repeatedly vetoed by Greece in a long-running dispute regarding the ex-Yugoslav republic’s name, which is shared with a Greek region.
Consequently, Macedonia changed its official name to North Macedonia in 2018 in order to resolve the dispute, clearing the way for NATO membership.
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