FYROM has ‘no alternative’ to EU and NATO, says Zaev
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) remains committed to NATO and European Union membership, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Wednesday in Sofia ahead of an EU-Western Balkans summit.
“Macedonia has no alternative to NATO and the EU,” Zaev said adding that failure to meet this political ambition would mean negative consequences for the wider region.
Weaker domestic cohesion fuels nationalist tension and outside interference, he said.
On Thursday, Zaev is scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras amid UN-mediated talks to reach a settlement on the name issue.
The country’s efforts to join NATO and the EU have been blocked by Greece, which says the name “Macedonia” implies a territorial claim over Greece’s own northern region of that name.
