Macedonia Doubles Troops in Iraq

02 11 2007 Skopje_ The Macedonian government has decided to send an additional 37 soldiers to Iraq, doubling its presence in the US-led coalition forces there, the country’s foreign minister said on Friday.

“I am glad that we are prepared to share the responsibilities and solidarity with our partners from NATO even as a candidate for membership, before our full accession to the organization”, Antonio Milososki told a news conference.

Macedonia has been part of the coaliton forces in Iraq since 2003.


It currently has 40 peacekeepers, stationed around 20 miles north of Baghdad, as part of the “Iraqi Freedom” mission.


In addition to “Iraqi Freedom”, Macedonia also participates in the NATO-led International Security Force, ISAF, mission in Afghanistan, and in the EU’s EUFOR peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Skopje is hoping to receive an invitation to join NATO, along with Albania and Croatia, at the Alliance’s next summit, due in April 2008 in Bucharest.

However, its NATO bid is threatened is by a potential Greek veto, threatened by several senior officials in Athens, if a solution to the two countries’ dispute over Macedonia’s name is not reached by then.

At the news conference Milososki restated his country’s standpoint that no linkage should be made between Macedonia’s NATO membership and its name dispute with Greece.

“I am convinced that Athens will find the strength to give priority to the region’s stability”, Milososki said, adding that Macedonia feels prepared for its forthcoming NATO membership.

Due to Greek objections to the country’s constitutional name - the Republic of Macedonia - Skopje joined the UN in 1993 under the provisional term, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM, pending a resolution of the dispute.

Since then Macedonia’s constitutional name has been recognized by two-thirds of the UN’s members, including the US, Russia and China.

A fresh round of UN mediated Greek-Macedonian talks over the name dispute were held in New York on Thursday where UN`s envoy Matthew Nimitz handed both sides a draft framework for consideration as basis for a solution.