FACTBOX: NATO decisions on Balkan enlargement

(Reuters) - The NATO military alliance issued membership invitations on Thursday to Albania and Croatia but decided against inviting Macedonia to join for now.

Following are details of NATO decisions on enlargement in the Balkans that were made at a summit of alliance leaders in Bucharest.

ALBANIA AND CROATIA

NATO leaders agreed to issue formal membership invitations to Albania and Croatia. Both countries could join by the end of this year, after their membership is ratified by all member states and the two aspirants.

MACEDONIA

NATO decided not to issue a membership invitation to Macedonia because of resistance by Greece, which is embroiled in a dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.

Alliance leaders praised Macedonia's participation in NATO missions and said they have authorized their ambassadors to issue the invitation as soon as the name dispute, which has festered for 17 years, is resolved.

Macedonia, which broke away 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.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND MONTENEGRO

Alliance leaders awarded Bosnia and Montenegro an "intensified dialogue" on their membership aspirations, a step before a formal membership plan is granted. Both former Yugoslav republics are expected to put forward "action plans" to prepare for membership.

SERBIA

NATO expressed its willingness to develop ties with Serbia further, within the former Yugoslav republic's membership of the alliance's "Partnership for Peace" program. It said it would consider awarding Serbia an "intensified dialogue" if it so requested.

(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Mark John and Radu Marinas; Editing by Timothy Heritage)