Weighing Macedonia’s Entry into NATO

Abstract

The eastward enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization continues unabated. In 2009 the alliance welcomed Croatia and Albania into the fold. Discussions over possible membership continue with the Republic of Georgia and Ukraine. Current NATO policy is also in favor of Montenegro’s and Bosnia-Herzegovina’s joining some day. However, recent international events and continued shortcomings in these countries’ domestic political institutions preclude entry any time soon. In contrast, the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) ranks high among the countries that have supposedly made the most significant progress in the reforms necessary to secure membership. If the Greek government had not vetoed inclusion of FYROM in the latest round of expansion with the rest of the Adriatic-3 (FYROM with Croatia and Albania), NATO would most likely have admitted it in January 2009 as its twenty-ninth member.