NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer promised that he is working on seeing some Western Balkan countries become members of the Alliance during his mandate. His mandate expires in January year 2008 and he is convinced that he would fulfill his promise before the next NATO summit.

Robert Hunter, president of the Atlantic Treaty Association, also conveyed optimistic announcements as regards membership in NATO. He said that he is waiting for the day when Macedonia will become a NATO ally.

"We are waiting for the day when we will be able to say that Macedonia is a NATO ally, not just a partner, and this day is not far away" Hunter said.

Macedonian Defense Minister Lazar Elenovski said yesterday at the 52nd General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association held in Athens that Macedonia was one of the first countries that cancelled the national restrictions, thus demonstrating what it means to be an ally of the Alliance.