WASHINGTON – North Macedonia’s accession to NATO will fulfil the gap in this country and in the Balkans, pointed out Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, adding that this country will be a strong supplement for the NATO units in the region, portal a1on reports.
In his interview with Voice of America, he expressed his expectations on the American Senat ratification of the North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol.
“We need to have a hearing on it in the Foreign Relations Committee, and I have tentatively scheduled that for approximately two weeks from now. Then, as far as when it will be finalized, it goes to the Senate floor, and we would very much like to have that done in June, and we are cautiously optimistic that we can get that done in June,” said Risch.
Commenting on the country’s accession to NATO and how it would influence the economic situation of the country, he said it would be normal to see economic activities after joining the NATO, adding that no one would be surprised by the economic development.
He thinks that the election itself, regarding accession, was a good, clear indication that North Macedonian people do not want Russian influence. According to him the final step into NATO is a final rejection of Russia and what it stands for and the kind of “malign influence” they bring.
“I believe that most people want to confront the Russian aggression and be protected by the strongest military Alliance which has been ever created in the history. If I lived in the region, I would have liked to be a part of NATO which will guarantee the security to my country,” concluded Risch.