Today (28 March), the celebration of the fifth anniversary of our country’s membership in the NATO Alliance began at the “Ilinden” barracks in Skopje with a moment of silence and the firing of 59 honorary volleys in memory of the 59 victims of the tragic event in Kochani.
Minister of Defence, Vlado Misajlovski, in addressing President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, the Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Admiral Stuart Munsch, and other high-ranking guests underlined that on this day we are not only celebrating the anniversary of our NATO membership, but that we are also demonstrating our unity and mutual support.
“Words of comfort, and even more so, the willingness to help, are what make us 32 NATO countries a united, unified force that is ready to meet the needs of every single member country”, said the Minister.
Misajlovski stressed that NATO is not just a military and political alliance that protects the external borders of its member states, but an alliance that has one common essence – caring for each other.
The Minister also referred to the professionalism of all 146 members of the Army who were engaged in supporting the institutions after the tragic event, who “had to cope with their own feelings and sadness and respond to the tasks in the most professional manner”.
“And every time we mention the word hero, it should resonate loudly with us that Macedonia has had many heroes in its history who gave their lives, but also heroes who are among us every day, ready to help right away, and some of them are the members of the Macedonian Army”, stressed Misajlovski and added that “we need changes that mean respecting the laws and building a functional, just and modern society”.
The system can be changed, said the minister, only if each of us honestly makes our own contribution, and of course in compliance with every single rule – that is what it means to love one’s homeland, i.e. to love the country and respect every fellow citizen.
Regarding the benefits of NATO membership, Misajlovski said that it is a guarantee and an opportunity for the Macedonian economy. The Defence will continue to invest at a strong pace in the modernization and equipping of the Army in accordance with the highest standards of the Alliance, stressed the minister.
President Siljanovska-Davkova said that since the first years of our independence, a non-partisan consensus had been built among Macedonian citizens on the need for NATO integration as a condition for creating an environment of peace, stability and prosperity for future generations.
Macedonian membership in NATO, said the president, was recognized as a priority strategic goal along with membership in the European Union.
“Among us are some of the veterans of the Macedonian defence who dedicated their careers to the achievement of this goal. However, the fact is that in order to achieve this strategic goal, enormous efforts were invested and great sacrifices and painful compromises were made, which were not required of any other candidate country. The most difficult part of the path to NATO was certainly walked by the military and civilian members of the Army who, through painstaking reforms, continuous military exercises and risky peacekeeping missions, gained invaluable experience, but also deserved great respect from the allies. This is evidenced by the numerous recognitions for the expertise, competence, and sacrifice of the members of the Army by our strategic partners and senior NATO representatives. It is no coincidence that as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am proud of our Army, as our important actor in NATO”, said the President.
The Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, also addressed the present at the anniversary celebration. Referring to the tragedy in Kochani, in which 59 people died, he stated that this event demonstrated the value of alliance, friendship and good neighbourliness, emphasizing that in the most difficult moments, the entire region and beyond mobilized in an act of selfless support. Additionally, the General emphasized that this tragedy showed what NATO means in its essential form, expressed through the direct support received from member countries.
Referring to the future challenges of the Army, General Lafchiski stated, “Our goal continues to be to create a modern, mobile and technologically advanced Army, an Army that is a credible ally, an Army that consistently fulfils its obligations to the alliance and is strongly committed to collective security”.
Admiral Munsch, as the highest representative of NATO structures, emphasized that our country has proven on many occasions that it is a strong and capable ally and contributor. The Admiral said that for decades our soldiers have stood shoulder to shoulder in NATO operations – in Afghanistan and Iraq, and by participating in the missions in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, our country demonstrates its commitment to regional security. “NATO can rely on North Macedonia and North Macedonia can rely on NATO”, said Admiral Munsch.
On the occasion of the anniversary of NATO membership, for the first time in the Macedonian Army, the “NATO Medal for Vigilance” was awarded to a total of 326 army members who participated in the Alliance’s multinational forces in Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria from June 2022 to December 2024. This medal refers to personnel who were under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 24 February 2022.
