Public Affairs Office

Mission and Tasks

Mission:

Plans and communicates with the national media and the general public in the country and abroad; conducts analysis of the media environment and the effects of the media on the mission of the Army. Provides support to the Chief of the General Staff of the Army by timely informing the general public about the activities and events related to the Army and internally provides up-to-date information about important activities in the defence area.

Tasks:

The Public Relations Office as a unit performs the following tasks:

Keeps up with the information in the area of defence;
Makes analysis and surveys information in the media that is of significance for the Army;
Coordinates the requests from the media representatives for media activities in the commands and units of the Army;
Gives proposals to the national and foreign media for their news stories about the Army so that it is presented in a positive manner;
Coordinates with the Sector for Communication, Analysis and Operational Support (SCAOS) at the MoD regarding media issues related to specific responsibilities in the defence area, as well as provides information of mutual interest;
Coordinates with the regional centre for public relations and the Army’s J7/GS section for the training requirements;
Participates in designing of the public relations training programmes;
Maintains communication and coordinates the activities of the public relations officers in all subordinate units of GS and the Army;
Sets up a base for digital photographs, video and audio materials from activities important for the Army;
Creates and processes digital information products for informing the general public and internally;
Secures digital material and the information system from copying and unauthorized access or use;
Provides media support to the Army GS units promoting the activities within their area of responsibility, which are important for promoting the Army;
Produces and distributes announcements, photographs, video and audio products timely informing the general public;
Manages the distribution of information products;
Provides logistic support to the representatives of the national media who cover military activities on certain locations;
Organises and allocates personnel responsible for managing the Public Relations Centre during larger military exercises conducted by the Army units or international conferences.

Chief

Colonel Toni Janevski

Colonel Toni Janevski was born in 1965 in Shtip. After graduating from the Defence Faculty, part of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, he began his military career in the Territorial Defence. With the independence of the Republic of Macedonia and in accordance with the Law on Defence he joined the ARM. During his military career he has had commander and staff duties at battalion level and in an operational command. In October 2015 he was appointed the Head of the Public Relations Officer and the Spokesperson of the General Staff of the Army.

In his military career he has attended many courses in the area of public relations and strategic communication and he has also participated in many military exercises in the Republic of Macedonia and abroad. In 2008 he was a staff officer and the senior national representative in an ISAF mission rotation in Afghanistan. Continuing his military education, he attended the International Staff Orientation Course in Rijswijk, the Netherlands and in 2012 he graduated from the Joint Services Staff College – Italian Defence Higher Studies Institute in Rome. During his career he has received many awards and commendation, most notable being the Certificate of Commendation by the Chief of the General Staff, Certificate of Commendation by the Ministry of Defence, California National Guard Commendation Medal, and ARM Golden badge for partnership, coordination and cooperation, Medium plaque of the Army. He speaks English, Italian and Russian. He is married and a father of two children.

Military Career:

1991-1994 Assistant to the Logistic commander at the TD Staff, Sv. Nikole;
1994-2000 Border Post Commander;
2000-2004 Infantry and Mechanised Company Commander;
2004-2006 Training and Operations Officer at S-3 at the 1MIBn Command, 1MIBde;
2006-2007 Training and Operations Officer at S-3 at the 1MIBn Command, 1MIBde, and Chief of S-3;
2007-2012 Head of the Protocol and Information Management Section at JOC;
2012-2015 Public Relations Officer at the JOC Commander’s Cabinet.

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