“Unfortunately, nowadays no one is safe or protected from terrorist attacks. However, you can have certain information in advance. That is what you have at your disposal when you are a member of NATO. There is no 100 percent protection from anything. It is easier when you know that someone is with you”, stated the Ambassador of Croatia, Danijela Barisic, in regards to CIVIL’s question on whether there is a possibility of terrorism.
Minister of Defense, Ms. Radmila Shekerinska continued in regards to the question as to whether there is a possibility of terrorism and said that danger of terrorism is a global phenomenon.
“The greatest threats against the security of the members are quite far from their borders. Membership will not protect us from the danger, but it will prepare us. Membership develops the capacities faster. In this network of exchanging information, you can prevent things more easily. One of the arguments that we need to make use of is also the fact that Macedonia is located in a region where there are channels linked with terrorism. The important thing is to develop our institutions.
The government has formed a new body, which has the goal to fight against such risks. That is one of the priorities”, stated Shekerinska.
Analyst Sasho Ordanoski added that the fight against terrorism is based on good intelligence.
“We haven’t even started properly. What are we doing with the reforms of the secret services. That reform is one of the conditions. We need to let the secret services start doing their job. The Kumanovo incident. The fact that there is a “red phone” allowed for the incident to be relaxed from regional complications. If this took place in the 90’s, it would have been disastrous”, said Ordanoski.
Shekerinska at a meeting with a NATO member, expressed gratitude for the important operational date that had been sent through Macedonian and had prevented the security of that country to be endangered.
“Information will not only be given, but there will also be access to information”, she added.
Stevo Pendarovski emphasized that Macedonia is not a target of terrorist attacks, because it is not a crucial country. Membership itself does not mean an additional risk.
