NATO says no to expansion

Despite intense diplomatic efforts by the USA the proposed inclusion of Georgia, Ukraine and Macedonia in NATO has been rejected. According to the Spanish daily, El Pais, neither German nor French leaders wished to create a negative climate in NATO's relationship with Russia and so voted against the inclusion of the two ex-soviet republics.

The Greek government also blocked efforts by its northern neighbour, Macedonia to join the alliance. According to reports in the Greek online news service in.gr the government used its veto to stop Macedonia joining Nato arguing that a solution to the dispute over Macedonia's name had not yet been found.

The efforts by the New Democracy government of Kostas Karamanlis to stop Macedonia joining NAO has enjoye wide support by Greek political parties on both the left and right. In addition 90% of Greeks, according to a poll carried out by the Kathimerini newspaper, agree with the government stance.