Skopje, 31 May 2022 (MIA) — President Stevo Pendarovski met Tuesday with General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Norway, and discussed the war in Ukraine, Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership bids, strengthening the eastern wing of the Alliance as well as European security challenges. According to an official press release, the President pointed out that as a NATO member, North Macedonia would continue to provide military, humanitarian and diplomatic support to Ukraine to stop Russian aggression. They also discussed overall bilateral defense cooperation, including medical military cooperation, training and cooperation between military academies, and joint participation in international peacekeeping operations. President Pendarovski thanked Norway for its contribution in the process of implementing NATO standards and the transformation of the Army, for its assistance and donations to help the country deal with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as well as for its financial support in building the country's democratic capacity. "The President expressed readiness to further improve bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and strengthen the NATO alliance to meet the common goals of collective security and peace on the European continent," the press release says. Pendarovski and Kristoffersen also talked about possibilities for conducting joint exercise activities at the Krivolak military range. mr/