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Nato: Mattis in Zagreb, US support stability in the Balkans

Allusion to Russia, 'those who want us divided' will fail

13 July, 13:42
(ANSA) - ZAGREB - The United States of America will continue to firmly support the stability in the Balkan countries and their integration into Nato, and in this ''we are not naive, but fully aware of the fact that there is someone who would like us to fail''. That is what US Defense Secretary James Mattis said at the multilateral meeting of the Adriatic-American initiative in Zagreb, which was attended by his counterparts from five countries of south-eastern Europe.

Mattis's statement sounds like an allusion and a message to Russia, which some Western countries accuse of sowing discord in the path towards the Balkans' Euro-Atlantic integration. ''The US remain firmly anchored to hope for peace and stability in this area of Europe - US minister added - and those who want us divided will not win''. ''This meeting is proof of our insoluble transatlantic ties'', Mattis said.

Mattis arrived in Zagreb after taking part in the Nato summit in Brussels, which invited even Macedonia to join the Alliance, since government in Skopje resolved the name dispute with Greece last month. The Adriatic-American initiative, founded in 2003 to support the entry of the countries of the region into the Atlantic Alliance, includes Croatia, Albania, Montenegro (that in the meantime have become Nato members), Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. (ANSA).

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