"Macedonia is fully prepared for NATO"

A statement from the Macedonian government quoted Zaev as saying the aforementioned in a discussion with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, with whom he met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum as well as EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

In his talk with Stoltenberg, messages of support and encouragement from NATO to finalize the Prespa Agreement were reaffirmed, as well as expectations that the ratification of the protocol for membership in the Alliance would begin.

"Our country is fully prepared for this important act, which is one of the top two priorities of the Republic of Macedonia on the international plane for 2019," Zaev told Stoltenberg.

During the meeting with Hahn, the statement stressed, the two officials agreed that implementation of the historical agreement in Prespa was unfolding according to plan and that now was the time for "all the efforts of the political process in Macedonia to be focused on the pronounced implementation of reforms to enable the start of negotiations on membership in the EU."