The Democratic Union (DU) provided an initiative to President Gjorge Ivanov Monday for calling a leaders’ meeting with the chairmen of the political parties at which adopting a platform for Macedonia’s integration into NATO and opening of EU accession talks will be discussed, Vest reports.

The leaders’ meeting is expected to produce a concrete platform for resolution of the name issue.

“Our estimates are that in the period following the NATO summit in Lisbon and the meeting of the Council of the EU, the situation in Macedonia will become more complicated unless we assume a clear stance. I believe that following these important meetings the political stage will heat up and the economic situation in Macedonia will aggravate,” said the chairman of the Democratic Union, Pavle Trajanov.

What will be happening to Macedonia after the NATO summit in Lisbon depends solely on Macedonia, said US Ambassador Philip Reeker at the debate “Macedonia’s NATO Membership and the Lisbon Summit” held at the University of Southeast Europe in Tetovo Monday, Vreme reports.

The USA, as Ambassador Reeker said, supports Macedonia in seeking out a solution to the name issue and integrating fully into NATO.

“The USA is working with both countries, Macedonia and Greece, to help reach a compromise about the name and prevent the issue from getting complicated further. The good relations with the neighbors are a base for the NATO membership,” Reeker said.