As a fellow member of NATO, the United Kingdom stands alongside the Republic of North Macedonia. As allies in NATO, the two countries share joint values that have been serving as the foundation for a strong and active cooperation, Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska and British Ambassador Rachel Galloway said Wednesday after holding a meeting to discuss the shared values as part of NATO.
“Being a new NATO member, we are in the process of integrating a military, political, organizational and tactical plan. Our army is now a NATO army. The extensive experience of our friends in the United Kingdom is of great help to us in the process. They are here now to help our army train. While having a meeting today in Skopje, two teams from the British Army who are training with our Army in Krivolak,” Shekerinska said.
When we launched the cooperation in 2018, she added, we were optimists together with the United Kingdom, but we never have expected to establish cooperation so heightened, especially when it comes to education, joint training, experience, establishment of assigned units, gender perspective, which resulted in the signing the Defence Cooperation Agreement.
Ambassador Galloway announced that the UK is donating a significant quantity of new equipment to the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, estimated at GBP 230,000.
The equipment is linked to the emergent Dismounted Close Combat capability of the Army, and specifically within the country’s NATO assigned units. The equipment, she said, will make a significant contribution to the ability of the ARNM’s Light Infantry Battalion Group to operate alongside its NATO partners and allies.
“The relationship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of North Macedonia is special. It is not just that of an ally, rather it is kindred, based upon shared values and democratic principles. As a fellow member of NATO, the United Kingdom stands alongside the Republic of North Macedonia. The nature of this relationship is particularly evident in defence and security issues,” stated Galloway.
Currently, she said, there are two teams from the British Army who are training alongside the Army on Krivolak Training Area. “It is the UK’s intent to continue with this support, increasing in both intensity and frequency in the coming year,” stated the Ambassador adding that one of the teams currently training on Krivolak with the Army is delivering Junior leadership training, while the second is supporting the training of the NATO assigned Light Infantry Battalion Group.
