The Minister of Defence, Vlado Misajlovski, yesterday (7 July) in Ankara, the Republic of Türkiye, participated in several activities and meetings organized within the framework of the Alliance Summit, among which were the reception for defence ministers hosted by the Turkish Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, the Industry Forum, as well as the accession ceremony of France, Finland, and Sweden to the Multinational Cooperation for the establishment of NATO Flight Training Europe.
During the Summit, Minister Vlado Misajlovski participated in the Defence Industry Forum, which focused on innovation and the development of the defence industry as key elements for collective security, as well as establishing cooperation for joint procurement to equip defence forces. At the forum, which was attended by high-ranking representatives from allied and partner countries and defence industry representatives, the following message was delivered: "There is no strong defence without a strong defence industry!"
Participation in this forum is exceptionally important, given the Macedonian Government's intention to support the development of domestic companies in the field of the dedicated military industry.
On the first working day, a ceremony was also held to welcome three allied countries—France, Finland, and Sweden—into the Multinational Cooperation for the establishment of the NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE), a strategically significant initiative for establishing an integrated flight training system in Europe. Through NFTE, an efficient, coordinated, and standardized long-term training system is created for pilots, technicians, and aviation personnel in accordance with NATO standards and requirements. Our country is one of the founders of this initiative.
In the course of the previous day, Misajlovski participated in the reception for defence ministers, organized by the Turkish Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, where he also delivered an address to the attendees. On this occasion, he highlighted the excellent cooperation between our two countries, stating that they serve as an example for building outstanding bilateral relations, and extended his congratulations to Minister Güler on the new facility of the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye.
The activities continued at the presidential complex in Ankara, where Misajlovski participated in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of defence ministers, which was also attended by the defence ministers of partner countries from the Indo-Pacific region. During this event, Minister Misajlovski informed his colleagues about the investments from the Macedonian budget into the development of the country's defence and the modernization process of the Army, which strengthens the combat readiness of the Macedonian Army and reinforces NATO's collective security. He added that the allocations made by the Macedonian government regarding defence—which include investments related to defence and the protection of national security, such as the protection of critical infrastructure and the construction of the two essential corridors—exceed 4% of the projected 5% required to be reached in the next 10 years. Misajlovski emphasized that all previous agreements and the support received by the Macedonian Army from allies and partners, including through the European Peace Facility, further impact the strengthening of capacities when performing tasks in peace missions and operations. In this context, Minister Misajlovski stressed that it is of particular importance for the two missions, i.e. the EU-led ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the NATO-led KFOR mission—to continue and serve as a guarantee for the stability of this region.
