Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 06/2009

Obstacles to FYROM's membership of NATO: a tougher agenda than expected

Zoran Kosanic

February 2009

NATO Defense College

Abstract

The disagreement between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece dates back to 1992, when the republic that had emerged from the dismantled Federal Republic of Yugoslavia gained independence. FYROM's affiliation with the main international organizations very nearly made us forget about its ongoing dispute with Greece. But the international community was brutally reminded of the situation when Greece vetoed FYROM's bid to join NATO, despite broad consensus in favor of accession.