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Macedonia Agrees NATO Troops Entrance
The Macedonian government decided Wednesday to allow 3,500 NATO troops to enter the country and collect weapons from ethnic Albanian rebels, Macedonian Foreign Minister Linka Mitreva said.
"We expect the North Atlantic Council to adopt a decision for the deployment of NATO forces urgently. It is expected by the end of the weekend that around 500 soldiers will arrive to Macedonia," Mitreva stressed.
According to Mitreva, NATO soldiers are authorized to open fire in self-defense and at those persons who oppose the mission, reports reaching here said.
The 19 ambassadors of NATO member states made the decision earlier Wednesday in Brussels after all NATO governments approved a plan for the advance team of 400 British troops to set up headquarters in Skopje before 3,100 troops enter the Balkan country.
NATO officials said that the operation, code named "Essential Harvest", will not last more than 30 days, although another 30 days are needed, including 15 days for NATO troops deployment and 15 days for their leaving.
NATO and ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia reached a disarmament document Tuesday which removed the obstacles to deploying NATO troops in the country.
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