Skopje, 16 November 2023 (MIA) — It is our duty to support other regional countries in their Euro-Atlantic aspirations and to develop stronger security and defense interaction, capable of responding to looming new challenges, Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said Thursday at the opening of the 20th Defense Ministerial meeting of the US–Adriatic Charter A5 held in Skopje.

Minister Petrovska said She emphasized that the A5 Charter in the past two decades had proven to be a successful cooperation mechanism and "a symbol of trust, prosperity and unity of all member countries."

She added that this required not only collective wisdom but also collective commitment to fostering security, stability and cooperation.

"The geopolitical landscape is changing fast and we face dynamic threats," Petrovska said, highlighting that security issues were interconnected.

She also thanked the United States on its continous support for the European and Euro-Atlantic agendas of the Adriatic Charter member states. 

"I would like to express my gratitude for the continued commitment to safeguarding regional stability and the Euro-Atlantic perspective of the Western Balkan countries," she said.

The defense minister pointed out that achievements in the recent past were based on cooperation and mutual trust.

"The twenty-year legacy of our partnership is the cornerstone of our strategic defense position, making our joint efforts the foundation of our defense institutions," she said.

In addition to Minister Petrovska, meeting participants include US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander, Minister of Defense of Albania Niko Peleshi, Minister of Defense of Montenegro Dragan Krapovic, Deputy Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Slaven Galic, and the head of international security and defense cooperation in the Croatian Ministry of Defense Igor Gabric.

Also attending are representatives from observer countries including Minister of Defense of Kosovo Ejup Maqedonci, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense of Serbia Nemanja Starovic and Deputy Defence Policy Director in the Ministry of Defense of Slovenia Aljosa Selan.

The US–Adriatic Charter is an association formed by Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia and the United States for the purpose of aiding their attempts to join NATO. The Charter was signed on 2 May 2003 in Tirana.

On the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly, held on Sept. 25, 2008 in New York, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina were invited to join to also support their Euro-Atlantic integration processes.

As a result of efforts to develop and achieve NATO standards, Albania and Croatia joined NATO in 2008, Montenegro in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2020. mr/