NATO made mistake by not providing full membership for Macedonia because it would have increased security in the Western Balkans, says for Macedonian television, security expert at the Heritage Foundation, the influential American Steve Buchi, report MRT.
According to him, the issue of foreign fighters in the Balkans as fighting with the Islamic state in Syria violate the security of the region in the future …
As writes MRT, preoccupied with their own problems, NATO forget that is organization primarily for safety and should think of security in Europe including the Western Balkans. The result of the last summit of the Alliance when Macedonia was not received with full membership can have negative reflection on the region, says the security expert at the Heritage Foundation, the influential American, Buchi Steve for the Macedonian Television.
“NATO did not help with this Summit. I was hoping at least to invite Macedonia and Montenegro to join the Alliance, but it did not happen. It was mistake of NATO, which I hope will be corrected quickly,” said Steve Buchi-security expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
Reason for NATO enlargement with new member countries from the Western Balkans region and the problem that region faces with foreign fighters who are fighting with the jihadists in Syria. According to the International Center for Counterterrorism in The Hague, 654 soldiers from the Balkans, most of them from BiH 330, 150 from Kosovo, Albania from 90, 70 from Serbia, Macedonia 12 and Montenegro 2 are already in Syria. 51 Balkan fighters who fought on the side of the jihadists in the so-called Bosnian and Albanian group died.
“This is situation that we all face in the West. Communities in the Balkans, especially Islamic communities never showed radicalism as we see in the Middle East, but now the foreign fighters who go to fight in Syria, and then return to the Balkans, we all should not worry,” said Buchi.
European allies are asking the United States not to reduce the number of American troops in Europe. The deputy commander of American forces in Europe, General Major Walter Piat says allies who fought with American forces in Afghanistan are well prepared to deal with security challenges.
“The more practice and build our participation in multinational missions, the more we learn about what to do,” said Major General Walter Piat, deputy commander of American forces in Europe.
The security of Europe is at very low, because despite the crisis with Ukraine, currently in Syria by jihadist side are fighting about 2,500 foreign fighters from France, Britain, Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Ireland and Russia. The expansion of NATO in Europe can increase security, evaluate the experts at Heritage.
According to experts at the Heritage Foundation, NATO made mistake that did not provided full membership of Macedonia at the last summit.
