EU urges Macedonia to look West despite NATO blow

BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - The European Union called on Macedonia on Friday not to give up on its strategy of moving closer to the West, a day after the country failed to get an invitation to join NATO.

Leaders of the military alliance at a summit in Bucharest on Thursday asked Albania and Croatia to join the 26-member NATO but did not extend the offer to Macedonia due to the threat of a veto by Greece in a row over the country's name.

"The EU Presidency called on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia today not to lose sight of its strategic national goal of joining the Euro-Atlantic integrations, which is essential for country's future, as well as of great importance for the entire region," the EU's Slovenian presidency said.

"According to the Presidency, the decision at the Bucharest NATO summit should not put that future under question," it said in a statement, commending Macedonia's reform efforts to date.

It also said negotiations with Greece should be resumed without delay.

NATO's decision on Thursday not to ask Macedonia to join the alliance raised fears that the former Yugoslav republic could be destabilised and nationalist and anti-Western feeling could grow in the Balkans.

Macedonia, which split from Yugoslavia in 1991, has the same name as Greece's most northerly province. Athens says Skopje must use a compound name such as "New" or "Upper" Macedonia.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said last week that if NATO membership was blocked, Macedonia would probably pull out of U.N.-sponsored talks with Athens, possibly undermining its EU membership bid which Greece can also veto.

The EU said in its statement on Friday that Macedonia's political leaders should work together to intensify reforms in order to meet conditions necessary for opening EU accession negotiations later this year. (Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Jon Boyle)