near the village of Idomeni, Greece on Thursday.
LJUBLJANA, March 10: Macedonia hopes stopping migrants at its border with Greece, which has effectively closed the Balkan route into northern Europe, will help the country join NATO, Defense Minister Zoran Jolevski said on Thursday.
Macedonia’s bid to join the defense bloc has been blocked because Athens has disputed the country’s name since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, saying it implies territorial claims to a Greek province of the same name.
“I hope that Macedonia will get its … place at a NATO table. We have shown that we are a responsible member of the international community,” Jolevski said when asked whether Macedonia’s conduct in the crisis could enhance its NATO bid.-Reuters
