Michael Evans, who is the defense editor of The London Times, writes in his latest column about the challenges that NATO faces, now that most of the political environment has changed in these past six decades of it's existence. He points the finger towards the President-elect of the USA, Barak Obama, advising him to promptly resolve all issues that compromise the stability of the Balkans, instead of pursuing the open-door policy that has been higher on the agenda so far.
Michael does not explain where does he see the cracks of stability in Macedonia or it's immediate surroundings, but we all agree that our integration into NATO is a benefit for Macedonia, it's neighbors, and the Alliance in general.
The foreign ministers came up with a fudge that allowed Georgia and Ukraine to believe they were still loved without upsetting Moscow. The issue, however, has not gone away. The alliance is divided between those committed to the open-door policy - Washington being the most prominent - and newer arrivals, including Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic nations, who are worried about the way that Moscow is going, particularly after the mini-war in Georgia in August, and want Nato to focus more on its traditional role of territorial defence. Quite like old Cold War times.
How this division is resolved will depend to a large extent on Barack Obama. Will he follow the Bush line and keep that door open, even for Georgia and Ukraine, or will he reconsider priorities, focusing perhaps on ensuring that stability in the Balkans moves higher up the agenda? This would mean getting Macedonia - there are still rows over its name - swiftly into the alliance and brokering an end to the interminable impasse between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus.
It's ironic that the President-elect has surrounded himself with Clinton Administration officials and appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. They will all be open-door enthusiasts, but it cannot make sense to focus on ensuring the future membership of Georgia and Ukraine, particularly while Mikhail Shakashvili, whose recklessness in trying to seize back the breakaway region of South Ossetia triggered the mini-war, is still President in Tbilisi.
Michael does not explain where does he see the cracks of stability in Macedonia or it's immediate surroundings, but we all agree that our integration into NATO is a benefit for Macedonia, it's neighbors, and the Alliance in general.
