Skopje, 24 August 2026 (MIA) - Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski told a TV interview on Monday evening that North Macedonia is a safe and stable country, adding that the country’s Army will be modernized and upgraded in the coming period.

“I want everyone to know that we are a safe and stable country. There are no risks. As you know, not long ago we were evaluated, especially our light infantry group, and it received the highest ratings for combat readiness. But above all, everyone knows that we are in NATO and collective security is a shared commitment. Are we capable? Absolutely,” Misajlovski said in an interview with TV Sitel.

In the interview, the Defense Minister said the country’s strategic documents are being amended, which, he said, will also increase the country’s combat power.

“This means we will be able to procure new systems and that will happen every soon. What we are currently considering and working on, and will soon have agreements for, is air defense. Of course, there are also drones, which we will acquire in various ways. We are holding meetings to see if we can also have Macedonian-made drones, produced with domestic companies. In this way, the funds allocated to us by the Finance Ministry, provided by all citizens, will be used to invest in Macedonian companies to develop our military industry,” Misajlovski said.

The Minister said it would be good for Macedonian businesses to receive a portion of the funds allocated to defense and urged experts and MPs to contribute to the development of the idea.

“There are already a few companies. Starting from tomorrow we will meet with companies to discuss the issue and allow them to provide input on how we can do this so we can see if the funds can stay here. Every country is doing this. They are opening their own factories, investing in their own factories. I think we should also look in that direction,” the Misajlovski said.

According to the Minister, a significant amount of equipment and vehicles for the Army are arriving, including the Stryker armored vehicles, which will be put into use by the end of the month. Regarding the Leonardo helicopters, Misajlovski said two of them are expected to arrive by the end of the year, with all eight to be delivered in the coming years. Part of the Mistral systems have also arrived, he said.

“Additionally, the citizens should know we have signed 16 new agreements with the United States for various types of equipment. This includes unmanned aerial vehicles, software, solutions... we will upgrade a lot of things depending on our budget. Everything will go toward the Army – partly for modernization, partly for human resources, and partly for infrastructure,” Misajlovski said.

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