The military cooperation between the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey is continuously expanding in several areas of defense. As of today, the signing of the protocol for donation of rifles between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey enables greater interoperability of the members of the two armies in carrying out joint activities in peacekeeping operations.
At the Ilinden Barracks, the donation protocol was signed on behalf of the two ministries by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defense, Dragan Nikolic, and the Resident Defense Attaché of the Republic of Turkey, Colonel Urek Burhan.
As part of the signing of the protocol, which was attended by the Director of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Zoran Mileski, the tactical and technical characteristics of the rifles, which are formation weapons of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey, were presented.
By signing the protocol and receiving the donation, the members of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia will be trained to handle and familiarize themselves with the weapons of the Allied Army, which will contribute to their interoperability in peacekeeping operations with members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey. We have had long years of experience with them, especially in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan where we performed tasks within the Turkish contingent.
This act is a continuation of the overall support from the Republic of Turkey as our strategic partner in the field of defense, which, including the previous donation of a towing train has recently supported us with numerous donations. It allows us to shorten the necessary time in the process of our full NATO integration.
