The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will be formally invited to join the NATO alliance if Athens and Skopje reach a settlement on the name dispute, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

“If the name issue is solved then NATO will invite FYROM to become a member,” Stoltenberg told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency in an interview in which he also hailed the “strong political support” for a solution to the row.

Asked about heightened tension between alliance members Greece and Turkey, the NATO chief voiced his concern over the recent incidents, while expressing the hope that differences “can be addressed in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation.”

“NATO is a forum for bringing Greece and Turkey together,” he said while also underlining the role of the alliance in helping implement the refugee deal between the European Union and Ankara.

