Washington, March 12, SPA -- The U.S. government on Tuesday urged Greece and Macedonia to resolve a name dispute that risks shutting Macedonia out of NATO. Macedonia should be invited to join the military alliance along with Croatia and Albania at a NATO summit next month, said Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs. Along with Kosovo’s independence, the admission of the three countries “helps us take the Balkans into the 21st century,” Fried told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But Greece is threatening to veto Macedonia’s admission because Greece claims the name “Macedonia” as the title of one of its provinces. The [Bush] administration is urging both parties to work together and with U.N. negotiator Matthew Nimetz to come to a conclusion before Bucharest,” Fried said, referring to the April 2 summit in the Romanian capital.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/535696