Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to express my support for ratifying the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of North Macedonia. In light of the Kremlin's ongoing aggression against the United States, against Ukraine, and against many of our democratic allies, today's vote sends an important signal that we are serious about standing up to Moscow. A strong NATO is critical to the security of the United States, and supporting NATO's expansion is one of the most important things this body can do to protect our Nation. This historic vote would not be happening without the Prespa Agreement between Greece and North Macedonia, which resolved the two countries' name dispute and came into force in February. I want to acknowledge the hard work of these countries, as well as the tireless efforts of American diplomats, to make Prespa a reality. North Macedonia has already made notable contributions to the security of the U.S. and of NATO. North Macedonia has deployed more than 4,000 troops to Iraq in support of U.S. efforts there, and in 2018, North Macedonia boosted its contribution to Afghanistan by 20 percent. It actively supports the international counter-ISIS coalition and has also supported missions in Kosovo. This history of partnership with the U.S. on important security issues speaks strongly in favor of North Macedonia's inclusion in the Alliance.…”