A delegation of the Armed Forces (AF) of Romania, led by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Gheorghita Vlad, will pay an official visit to the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia from today until September 4, 2025.
At the official meeting between the Army Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski and General Vlad, the cooperation between the two armies was confirmed, which during the past year and this year has been evaluated as exceptionally good and at a high level. The successful cooperation in the field of training and exercises carried out within the framework of the B-9 initiative, as well as within the framework of bilateral and regional activities, was particularly emphasized.
During the official meeting, the Romanian delegation was briefed on the transformation of the Army, the Army’s participation in international NATO, UN and EU missions, as well as the capacities of the Army Training Area Krivolak. Additionally, mutual support in meeting NATO capability goals and improving interoperability was discussed, as well as the possibility of enhancing bilateral cooperation, including cooperation in the field of special forces.
Within the framework of the visit, General Vlad held a meeting with the Minister of Defense, Vlado Misajlovski where they discussed the commitment of both countries in strengthening the eastern wing of NATO, the security situation in the region, as well as the possibilities for the development of bilateral cooperation. Minister Misajlovski emphasized the exceptionally intensive defense cooperation, which strengthens interoperability between the two allied armies, and added that Macedonian troops, as before, will continue their contribution as part of the NATO multinational forces in Romania.
In addition to the official meetings, during today’s meeting, the Romanian delegation will also visit the Special Forces Battalion at the “Ilinden” barracks in Skopje, where they will be introduced to the mission, equipment and weapons at the battalion’s disposal, and will attend a methodical demonstration exercise organized by the unit.
Tomorrow, the Romanian delegation will attend the ceremonial handover of duties of the Political-Military-Management Committee and the Coordinating Committee of SEDM, as well as the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG), at the Boro Menkov barracks in Kumanovo.
The cooperation between the Army and the Romanian Armed Forces is assessed at a high level. This cooperation was upgraded in November 2023 with the participation of the Army forces in Romania in enhanced Vigilance Activity – eVA Battlegroup Initial Operational Capability. At present this is NATO activity “Forward Land Forces” and a staff officer in the Multinational Corps Southeast (MNC-SE) in Bucharest is engaged. These activities represent a solid foundation for further deepening and developing the partnership between the two armies.
