Expanding the co-operation between the members of the United States-Adriatic Charter (A-5) for full NATO integration and contributing to Alliance security’ was the main topic of today’s twenty-first conference of chiefs of general staff (CGS) of the member states’ on the A-5, which took place today in Skopje.
“I would call for intensification of support and solidarity with the aspirants for NATO membership, because only in this way will we close the circle of equality and we will direct our energy towards building a stable region in which we will all be equal. The admission of the Republic of Macedonia to NATO will signify a new impetus for the security and stability of the region, which has proved crucial in preserving Europe’s security, especially from the aspect of the refugee crisis,” said the conference host, Chief of General Staff of ARM Lieutenant General Metodija Velichkovski.
Also, the President of the Republic of Macedonia and the Supreme Commander of ARM, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, who addressed the participants during the conference, stressed that with the Adriatic Charter we achieved regional stability through regional cooperation, because without cooperation there is neither stability nor security in our region. At the same time, he stressed the need for faster integration of the Republic of Macedonia into NATO because the required standards were achieved through 17 membership action plans, 27 rotations in ISAF, 6 rotations in ‘Resolute support’, 22 rotations in ALTEA and 10 rotations in UNIFIL, and the role in the migrant crisis was a top test of the capability of the most-watched army in NATO history.
In a press statement besides General Velichkovski and the Deputy Commander of the US Army Command for Europe, Lieutenant General Timothy Ray after congratulating the 25th anniversary of ARM, said that “Macedonia and the United States are strong strategic partners with a long history of security cooperation and friendship”.
Chiefs of the GS of the A5 armies today signed a joint statement confirming their firm commitment to further strengthen relations and expand and deepen military cooperation in support of and strengthening regional security.
The Army of the Republic of Macedonia performs activities as a full member of the Alliance and has repeatedly acknowledged the dedication of the founding principles of the United States – the Adriatic Charter signed in Tirana in May 2003, which is prosperity and Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the region.
Republic of Macedonia previously hosted the nineteenth Conference of Chiefs of Staff of General Staff of the United States-Adriatic Charter (A-5) armies. This year, for the first time, in addition to operating functional groups in terms of security, training and exercises, logistics and sergeant majors group, including the communication and cyber defense team started to work.
Besides the Chief of General Staff of the ARM, Lt. Gen. Metodija Velichkovski as the host, the conference was attended by: Deputy Commander of the US Army Command for Europe, Lieutenant General Timothy Ray, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Albania Brigadier General Bardhyl Kolchaku, Chief of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lieutenant General Ante Jelech, the Director of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj and the Chief of the Armed Forces of Montenegro Brigadier General Ilija Djakovic.
As observers, the CS of the Army of the Republic of Slovenia Major General Andrej Osterman and the Commander of Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Rahman Rama, attended the event. Representatives of the national guards of the United States of America, who are partners of the countries of A5: Iowa Commander Major General Timothy Orr, Maryland Commander Major General Linda Singh, Maine CS Brigadier General Douglas Fairham, Deputy Commander of the Vermont National Guard Brigadier General Joel Clark, Deputy Minnesota NG Commander Major General Neil Lloyddot, Deputy Commander of the NG of Ohio Brigadier General Anthony Di Gjakomo, Deputy Commander of the National Guard of Colorado Brigadier General Gregory White and Deputy Commander of the New Jersey Brigade Brigadier General Edward Crystal, also observed the event.
The agreement on the establishment of the US-Adriatic Charter was formally signed in 2003, in which, besides the United States as patron, Macedonia, Albania and Croatia made a commitment, through the institutional framework, to develop regional cooperation in the field of defense. In 2008, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro joined this initiative, while Serbia, Kosovo and Slovenia had the status of observer countries in the group. Meetings in the format of Chiefs of Staff of the Army are held annually, which examines issues in the field of military education, military-technical cooperation, peacekeeping operations and other current topics in the field of defense and security.
