By Xinhua
Ohrid (Macedonia) : The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Friday that the alliance ultimately wants all Balkan states to join it.
"The Balkans are an integral part of Europe. Our goal must, therefore, be that all Balkan countries ultimately become full members of the Euro-Atlantic family institutions," the NATO chief told the plenary session of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)'s security forum.
Full integration into the Euro-Atlantic structure is the only viable path for the countries in the region to take, he said.
But he warned that the nations must first meet the standards of accession, noting that the countries are at different stages of development.
"Each country will be judged by its own merits. There will be no any package," said de Hoop Scheffer in response to a question at the plenary session.
This approach is the best incentive for each country to knock hard at NATO's door, he said.
Macedonia, Albania and Croatia have joined NATO's membership action plan, the most advanced stage toward NATO membership before formal invitations for membership negotiations.
All three countries are eager to get the invitation at the next NATO summit in Bucharest next spring.
Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia, on the other hand, have just joined the Partnership for Peace programme, the initial stage on their path to a NATO membership.
De Hoop Scheffer asked the three countries to take full advantage of the new relationship with NATO and catch up with their neighbours.