Macedonia should continue with the reforms so that it can receive an invitation for membership in NATO in April year 2008, for which it has clear support from the United States, US Ambassador to NATO Victoria Nuland said in Skopje today. Nuland appealed to all political leaders in the country to resolve the remaining open issues, MIA and Makfax report.

"When you run a marathon, you cannot relax at the end. You must sprint to the finish line," US Ambassador Nuland said at the joint press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

She stated that Macedonia had made excellent progress so far, emphasizing that the authorities must continue implementing the reforms in the judicature, the rule of law, and they must continue with their efforts to create a multiethnic police force. The US ambassador said that good neighborly relations are a condition for membership in NATO, stressing that it is good that the Macedonian Government confirmed that it would remain committed to resolving the differences over the name.