Preliminary results of a scientific medical study show an increase in the incidence of malignant diseases, especially leukemia in children 5 to 9 years old. The number of children suffering from malignant diseases of blood and brain has significantly increased and since 1999 (the year of NATO's 78-day aerial war against Serbia) and has been rising each year.
National Coordinator for NATO Stevo Pendarovski said that Macedonia has de facto became a member of NATO. This happened when the alliance's member states signed the accession protocol, he said.
"Today, after a full 26 years since the declaration in the Macedonian parliament, we became a de facto member of NATO. This accomplished the greatest strategic goal which all the political elites and leaderships since (independence) September 8, 1991 held until now," he wrote on Twitter.
Russia has tried to meddle and influence whether Balkan countries join NATO, the organization's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has told Euronews.
He was speaking on the day the newly-named Republic of North Macedonia signed a pact that will pave the way for the country to join NATO, Euronews said in its report, cited by Tanjug on Thursday.
On this day 20 years ago, a peace conference on Kosovo and Metohija began in Rambouillet, near Paris. The epilogue is known - after 17 days of negotiations that failed, on March 24, 1999, NATO started bombing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (consisting of Serbia and Montenegro).
A research carried out by the National Democratic Institute from Washington has found that most Serbian citizens have positive opinion about Russia and China, while the most negative opinion is about US and NATO, Vecernje Novosti reported.
The research “Western Balkans between East and West” was carried out in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and focused on stances of the citizens and media reporting on foreign states and organizations.
In a symbolic gesture, the Greek Government will most probably be the first country to ratify North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol. Beta agency is reporting this on Wednesday, citing EURACTIV.
The plan is to do this by February 8, sources close to the issue told the Brussels-based website.
Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin spoke on Tuesday in Belgrade with NATO International Military Staff Director General Lieutenant-General Jan Broeks.
According to the Serbian government, they discussed "the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija."
Vulin pointed to the good cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces with NATO, under the auspices of the Partnership for Peace program.
Putin's visit to Belgrade is of political importance and should answer the question: is Serbia ready to be Moscow's key ally in the region, B92 portal reports, quoting Russian daily Kommersant.
If not, Serbia will continue its rapprochement with the EU and NATO, balancing between the West and Russia, assesses the Moscow daily.
Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic voiced satisfaction on Tuesday with the excellent cooperation with the Greek Embassy as NATO contact point in Belgrade in promoting the partnership between Serbia and the Alliance.
The minister expects that cooperation to continue with the Norwegian embassy which took over as contact point at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Leader of Serb Renewal Movement (SPO) Vuk Draskovic told Danas daily that most people in Serbia do not know that NATO would be the one to resolve all disagreements and potential conflicts in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia or anywhere else in the Balkans.
Speaking about the frozen conflict in Kosovo, Draskovic said “it is like a sparkle in an ash” and “the flame can erupt at any moment.” Draskovic added in this case Serbia would find itself in a position it was two decades ago, however the extent of the disaster would be much greater now.