The Greek Foreign Ministry congratulated the Republic of North Macedonia for officially becoming a member of NATO on Friday.
“We congratulate the Republic of North Macedonia that joins NATO as the 30th member of our alliance. We welcome our neighbours to the NATO family & look forward to working together as allies #WeAreNATO,” the Foreign Ministry said in a tweet.
Skopje submitted formal accession papers on Friday, becoming the 30th member of the transatlantic military alliance. The move caps a week of EU diplomacy allowing North Macedonia to begin EU accession talks.
“The Republic of North Macedonia is officially the new, 30th NATO member,” the government in Skopje said in a statement. “We have fulfilled the dream of generations.”
From NATO headquarters, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared: “North Macedonia is now part of the NATO family.”
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It was a family of 30 nations and almost 1 billion people “based on the certainty that, no matter what challenges we face, we are all stronger and safer together,” Stoltenberg added.
Last year, North Macedonia changed its name from Macedonia to settle a long-running row with NATO and EU member Greece.
Athens had made that a condition if Skopje was to join both organisations.
“We have waited for this day nearly 30 years,” tweeted North Macedonian Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska. “Congratulations to all of us.” A formal flag-raising ceremony is set to take place in Brussels on Monday.
