U.S. pledges to keep supporting Macedonia NATO bid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged continued strong U.S. support for Macedonia's NATO bid as she signed on Wednesday a strategic partnership agreement with her Macedonian counterpart.

Greece last month blocked Macedonia's bid to join NATO in a dispute over the Balkan country's name, which is the same as that of Greece's northern province.

"The United States strongly supports the accession of Macedonia into NATO, as soon as the name dispute can be reconciled," Rice said at a State Department signing ceremony with Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki.

"We hope that will happen very, very soon, because Macedonia deserves to be a member of NATO," Rice said. "Macedonia will enhance NATO's strength, prosperity and democracy."

Milososki promised his country would continue the reforms that had helped qualify it for NATO membership. "Macedonia will remain a reliable partner of the United States," he said, adding that the country's goal was full membership in NATO.

The deal they signed pledged both countries to broaden cooperation in security as well as trade and commerce. It said Macedonia and the United States would intensify high-level civilian and military contacts, including increased joint training and exercises.

Macedonia and Greece have been unable to resolve the name dispute since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Macedonia borders newly independent Kosovo, and has a 25 percent Albanian minority. Macedonia was rescued from all-out ethnic civil war in 2001 by NATO and European Union mediation.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)