Skopje, 3 October 2023 (MIA) – Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Vasko Gjurchinovski is as of Tuesday on official visit to the Republic of Croatia, where on Wednesday, he is set to take part in a meeting of chiefs of staff of the armies of the Defence Cooperation Initiative (DECI) member states for the first time.

The meeting will also officially mark North Macedonia, and its army, joining the security initiative formed under the auspices of Italy in 2012, which has Italy, Albania, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Hungary as its member states.

The Italy-led initiative has a regional character and is focused on cooperation between the armies of NATO member states from the Adriatic and Balkans region, which share joint interests in the field of defence.

“During its existence so far, the initiative has shown itself to be an especially significant instrument for the strengthening and development of mutual partnership and cooperation, and is a prominent driver of activities contributing to the development of peace, stability, and security in the region. At the same time, it highlights the importance of interlinkage of the defence planning process within the frameworks of NATO and the EU,” said the General Staff of the Army in a press release.

During the meeting, Lieutenant-General Gjurchinovski will have a chance to speak to his counterparts about several topics of mutual bilateral interest in the field of defence, including current security developments, as well as about the opportunities and ways to strengthen dialogue for security and stability in the region.

“By joining this security initiative, we once again affirm our commitment to strengthening cooperation and security on a regional level, as a condition for unobstructed prosperity of the region,” said the General Staff.

Photo: General Staff of the Army