Today (9 September), at the Members of Parliament Club, the Deputy Minister of Defence Admir Shabani met with a delegation from the US Congress and the Atlantic Council, which is paying a two-day study visit to our country.
During the meeting with the staff members of the US Congress and representatives of the Atlantic Council, the Deputy Minister emphasized that the country continuously demonstrates a strong commitment to activities aimed at strengthening collective defence. Shabani stated that "one indisputable proof of the Macedonian contribution to a stronger collective defence is the allocation of over 4 percent of GDP for defence activities and defence-related projects this year," which is an exceptional achievement in a very short period.
The Deputy Minister also referred to the modernization process, which is proceeding according to plans. "The Army already possesses all the planned JLTV light armoured vehicles in its arsenal, as well as the Stryker armoured vehicles—USA produced equipment with which we have strengthened the combat readiness of the Army, but also the security of the entire Alliance," he noted.
Within the framework of the meeting, the main development directions of defence and the Army were discussed, and current geopolitical developments and their impact on the security of the region were also addressed.
The meeting was organized within the framework of the "Balkans Forward" initiative of the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, under which members of the US Senate and House of Representatives get a close-up look at activities in the countries of the region in the field of defence and security, as a way for ensuring the continuous development of cooperation with the United States of America.
