Skopje, 4 August 2021 (MIA) – 16 fire engines and 46 firefighters from Slovenia are expected to arrive in North Macedonia by Thursday at the latest, to assist in firefighting efforts, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release on Wednesday. Assistance for battling wildfires was agreed on Tuesday in a phone call between Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska and her Slovenian counterpart Matej Tonin. “I hope you’ll manage to extinguish fires as soon as possible,” Tonin wrote Shekerinska, briefing her on the rapid reaction of North Macedonia’s ally, the press release read. On Tuesday, Shekerinska thanked neighboring countries and NATO allies for the assistance, stressing that North Macedonia can count on its friends in times of danger. “I’m really glad my colleague Tonin reacted quickly and Slovenia has provided the same response as Serbia and Bulgaria. Our allies and neighbors have shown incredible solidarity,” the press release quoted Shekerinska saying.