Wednesday, April 11, 2007

US approves aid to future NATO member-countries

US President George Bush on Tuesday signed into a law the bill for approval of military and technical aid to the countries candidates for NATO membership from the Balkans and Caucasus regions.

Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Georgia and Ukraine are included in the list of countries eligible to use the aid.

The funds have been appropriated from the ongoing budgetary year that wraps up on 30 September, upon the NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of 2007, already approved by the Senate March 15 and the House of Representatives March 26.

It envisions $12 million in aid to Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Georgia and Ukraine in 2008, which "have clearly stated their desire to join NATO and are working hard to meet the specified requirements for membership."

The text of the Act raised numerous commentaries in Macedonia because it states the temporary acronym FYROM as the name of the country.

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