Slovenia definitely supports the expansion of NATO to Croatia, Macedonia, and Albania, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
Nobody expressed any concerns about the expansion in the debate, only Greece expressed a concern about Macedonia regarding its name, Rupel said, calling on "friends to find compromises necessary for the expansion".
Rupel noted that occasionally problems arose in the Western Balkans regarding false dilemmas or exclusiveness. NATO is an organisation determined to include, unite, for friendship, he added.
Rupel also said that a number of situations had arisen where countries had taken positions in inappropriate ways in his opinion.
"We hear some countries saying for example: if we need to choose between NATO and the name, we choose the name; if we need to choose between the EU and Kosovo, we choose Kosovo; if we need to choose between the EU and the [fisheries] zone, we will choose the zone; if we need to choose between friendship with Russia and with the EU, we are for Russia," Rupel demonstrated.
The ministers also discussed a membership action plan for Georgia and Ukraine. Rupel said that the ministers understood the countries' aspiration to join NATO, and had decided to continue the debate.
He added that Slovenia supported the two countries joining NATO if all conditions are fulfiled.
|
Subscribe
To receive our weekly newsletter by e-mail subscribe here.
HOME
Government | Calendar of Events | Media Room | About Slovenia
Sitemap | Contact us | About us | Graphic version | Slovensko
© Government Communication Office