Stoltenberg awaits constitutional changes

NATO has no intention of giving up on Macedonia and waits for the resolution of the constitutional changes in the country. According to the announcements in Brussels, the pre-accession talks continue on October 17 and will for last two days, as it was planned in advance, with the goal of completing this process by January, in order to proceed with the admission procedure.

High representatives in NATO point out the huge percentage of “For” votes in the referendum, but do not overlook the fact that turnout was not high enough. The message from everyone in Brussels is that Macedonia is the one who needs to make the next steps and decide whether or not it wants to be a member of the alliance, and that NATO is ready to wait until the country implements the agreement with Greece, and then welcome it.

In the wake of the NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed this to the reporters.

“We closely followed the consultative referendum on Sunday. I spoke with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and we will stay in touch. I welcome the referendum voting. It’s for the people of the country and the parliament in Skopje to decide. But it’s my obligation to make it absolutely clear that there is no way to join NATO without fully implementing the name deal. We are ready to welcome you, but of course you have to implement the deal. Accession talks have already begun and I expect them to be finalized in January next year. When all constitutional changes for the new name are completed, we can sign the accession protocol. I call on all political leaders and political parties to work together in a constructive and responsible way and to recognize this opportunity,” Stoltenberg told a press conference.

He avoided commenting directly on the VMRO-DPMNE’s boycott in the referendum, sticking to the message that some have the illusion that they can reject the agreement on the dispute with Greece and Macedonia to become a member of the alliance.

“The accession talks continue with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as long as your country wants to continue those talks and as long as you are implementing the name agreement. And we stand ready to welcome your country as a new member of the alliance with an equal seat around the NATO table, with a full membership and also with all the benefits that NATO membership will provide to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Because we have seen before that NATO membership is important for security, stability, but also for prosperity. Latest example is Montenegro, where investments have doubled since they joined NATO. It’s for Skopje to decide the way forward. It was a clear majority in favor of the name agreement, in favor of joining the EU and NATO in the referendum, but at the same time the turnout was not as high as many had hoped. This is a consultative referendum, and the necessary changes in the constitution have to be made by the parliament, again that’s for the parliament and for the people of the country to decide. What I can say, is that the only way to join NATO is by agreeing and implementing the name deal with Greece. There is no other way. So I’ve seen that some have indicated the possibility of rejecting the name agreement, and at the same time, join NATO. That will not happen. That alternative doesn’t exist,” said Stoltenberg.

A senior diplomat in NATO has simplified the position in Brussels over the results of the referendum.

“This is an interpretation, which looks at the results of the referendum. In my opinion, it is very simple and there is no dilemma: in a referendum they ones who decide are the ones who vote. Just like in elections. For when there are elections, the voice of those who don’t vote does not count. They did not come out to vote, they do not decide,” the diplomat said.

The US Ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, also mentioned Macedonia among the first messages. She said the United States was pleased that over 90 percent of the vote “yes” and that they are now awaiting the parliament’s decision to welcome us as a NATO member in the near future.

On a note by a Washington Post journalist that the citizens did not show much enthusiasm in the referendum, she replied that the outcome of the vote was positive and that people should decide whether they want Macedonia to become a member or not. She stressed that Macedonia has a stable government that wants membership, that they work with it and that it is strongly determined to implement the required reforms.

According to the announcements, Macedonia will be the topic of debate before the Defence ministers, including Secretary of State James Mattis.

Slobodanka Jovanovska

Correspondent for Nezavisen Vesnik from Brussels