Today, the CGS of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, General Andrej Bocev visited the General Staff of the Army and the Ministry of Defence as part of his three-day official visit to the Republic of North Macedonia.
After the formal reception ceremony, General Bocev had a meeting with his host, the CGS, Lieutenant General Vasko Gjurchinovski, followed by a meeting with the Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska.
The two Generals, Gjurchinovski and Bocev during the meeting discussed the mutual military cooperation which is constantly increasing, especially in carrying out joint training between the units of the Military Police and the Special Forces, and joint participation in exercises.
General Gjurchinovski expressed his gratitude for the given support regarding the country’s NATO membership bid and for the opportunity given to our officers to educate themselves at the highest military educational institutions in Republic of Bulgaria, which together with the cooperation in joint training and military exercises represents a good basis for enhancing and promoting the bilateral cooperation.
General Bocev emphasized that the cooperation between the two armies will be intensified in the following period, with more training activities, exchange of experiences related to NATO integration, as well as in the field of military-technical cooperation.
At the official meeting, the delegation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces was introduced to the transformation process of the Army, participation in peacekeeping operations, and contribution to dealing with the migrant crisis, the possibilities for using the capacities of the ATA Krivolak for military exercises, and they discussed the possibilities and models for further military cooperation between the two armies.
During the three-day visit, the CGS of the Bulgarian Armed Forces will meet the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, and he will also visit the Special Operations Regiment and the Military-Medical Centre, where he will be briefed on their mission and duties.
In the course of their visit the high-level military delegation will have the opportunity to see part of the cultural and historical monuments of North Macedonia, and on Sunday they will attend the central ceremony on the occasion of marking the Day of the Army at the Water Training Centre in Ohrid.
The cooperation between the Army of Republic of North Macedonia and the Bulgarian Armed Forces in the past year is marked by over thirty joint military activities some of which were held in our country and some were organized in Bulgaria.
