Skopje, 21 November 2023 (MIA) - So far I visited partner nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and also Kosovo, and now I'm in a NATO allied country, and therefore it is also natural that this is the place where we have the big meeting with the leaders of the other NATO allies in the region. This is a recognition of the importance, the role that North Macedonia plays in this Alliance, and also how much we value that you are now a full-fledged member, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at Tuesday's joint press conference with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski. 

In response to a reporter's question on his address to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, following his visit to several other Western Balkan countries where such an address did not take place, and whether the address to the Assembly in Skopje is a message in terms of the process of the amendments to the Constitution, as well as what is the message being sent with the meeting of the leaders of NATO countries from the region happening in Skopje on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said it is a great honor to address the National Assembly in Skopje once again, as he has addressed the National Assembly before, but this is the first such address since the country joined NATO.   

"It shows the importance of North Macedonia as a highly valued NATO ally and I welcome very much that the Government and the National Assembly is ready to host me, but also the summit tomorrow with leaders of NATO allies in the region," he added. 

He noted that he follows developments in terms of the amendments very closely, and he would like to commend the country for the courage and the wisdom that was needed to ensure that North Macedonia becomes a full-fledged member of the Alliance.

"The Prespa Agreement was not easy, but it was good for North Macedonia, it was good for the whole region, and it was good for NATO. This is about security, but is also that security helps to promote prosperity, and with stability and prosperity there are actually more investments, more jobs, and more foreign direct investment in North Macedonia. So, there's a link between security and prosperity, which I think has been demonstrated by the fact that you are now a full member of the Alliance," said Stoltenberg. 

Photo: Government of the Republic of North Macedonia