World

NATO chief sees July decision on launching Macedonia talks

25 of June 2018

Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, listens to a question after delivering a pre-NATO summit speech at Lancaster House in London, Thursday, June 21, 2018. The secretary-general of NATO says bonds between Europe and North America have weakened, and he appealed for an international effort to shore up the trans-Atlantic military alliance. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham),Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, listens to a question after delivering a pre-NATO summit speech at Lancaster House in London, Thursday, June 21, 2018. The secretary-general of NATO says bonds between Europe and North America have weakened, and he appealed for an international effort to shore up the trans-Atlantic military alliance. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s chief says he expect the leaders of the military alliance will decide at a summit next month to officially launch membership talks with Macedonia.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that “I expect and I hope that NATO leaders at the summit will decide to start accession talks.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts will meet in Brussels on July 11-12.

The news comes after Greece and Macedonia agreed to end a decades-long dispute over the latter’s name. It will be renamed North Macedonia.

Greece had long insisted on the name change, arguing that its northern neighbor’s name implies claims on a northern Greek province also called Macedonia, and on ancient Greek heritage.