BRUSSELS. July 10 (Interfax) - Leaders of NATO countries are continuing to discuss a proposal allowing Ukraine to skip the standard membership action plan procedure in order to streamline its preparations for joining the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Vilnius on Monday.
"We are now building on the package," Stoltenberg said, adding that the package includes three proposals he formulated previously, namely those helping achieve interoperability between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and NATO, the establishment of a NATO-Ukraine Council, and the cancellation of the membership action plan stage for Ukraine.
"No final decision has been made," Stoltenberg said.
A membership action plan (MAP) is a standard program that countries aspiring to become NATO members are supposed to implement in order to meet the necessary membership criteria.
If NATO decides to relieve Ukraine of the need to implement the program, this would mean removing one stage on its path towards membership, Stoltenberg said.