Skopje, 12 October 2022 (MIA) — The Ministers of Defense of North Macedonia and of Portugal, Slavjanka Petrovska and Helena Carreiras, met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the potential for developing bilateral defense cooperation, according to the Ministry of Defense in a press release. “The first defense cooperation agreement between North Macedonia and Portugal, which we expect to sign soon, will be our roadmap for developing strongly allied cooperation between North Macedonia and Portugal,” the release says, citing the defense minister. Minister Petrovska said North Macedonia was committed to strengthening regional security and stability through participating in the NATO mission in Kosovo as well as in the European Union mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also said the country was fully aligned with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, stressing the importance of accelerating the Western Balkans’ EU integration. Minister Carreiras said the bilateral cooperation agreement was the first step toward developing defense cooperation, which had great potential, she added. mr/