Today, the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters NATO Allied Powers for Operations, Admiral Joachim Rühle, in an official visit to the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, was at the Army General Staff and the Ministry of Defence.
Admiral Rühle had separate meetings with his hosts, the Army Chief of GS, Lieutenant General Vasko Gjurchinovski, and later with the Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska, followed by a topical briefing where he got acquainted with the activities of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.
At the meeting between Genral Gjurchinovski and Admiral Rühle activities the Allied Command for Operations (ACO) is responsible for were discussed, as well as participation of our personnel in the command. Also, taking part in NATO operations and exercises, among which is the military exercise ‘Swift Response 23’, currently carried out at TA ‘Krivolak’.
The Defence Minister, Slajanka Petrovska, at the meeting with Admiral Rühle, pointed out that North Macedonia continues to be a dedicated member of the Alliance, contributing to enhancing collective security.
“For us, as a NATO ally, it is of great importance that the Alliance is united and speaks in unison about the need for restoring peace and stability on the continent; and only if we act together and united can we come up with solutions for all security challenges”, stated the Defence Minister at the meeting.
The Minister also informed about the growing defence budget, the process of modernization of the Army, and enhancing the interoperability of army members with members of the allied armies.
Apart from presenting the ongoing formation transformation and the activities for equipping and achieving set goals, with the delegation of the Supreme Headquarters NATO Allied Powers for Operations, international operations and outlined projects for development of the army training area ‘Krivolak’, as national and NATO capacity, were also discussed.
At the same time, General Gjurchinovski accentuated the continuous participation in all major NATO exercises and activities, and also our contribution to NATO operations as a chance to demonstrate our capacities and readiness for executing all types of activities.
Admiral Rühle referred that the activities undertaken by us, so far indicate a right course for thorough fulfillment of capabilities and demands, pointing out the importance for interoperability in all areas of defence.
Sometime today, Admiral Rühle will visit the Operations Command, and after the meeting with its commander, Brigadier General Besnik Emini, will visit the Education and Training Squadron, part of the Air Force WING.
The Allied Command for Operations (ACO) is one of the two strategic NATO military commands whose mission is to contribute to peacekeeping, security and territorial integrity of NATO member states in the area of responsibility. With gaining full-fledged NATO membership and in accordance with the plans, we continuously increased our presence with staff personnel in the NATO commands and staffs at a strategic and operational level.
