On November 19 Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas expressed his anticipation of North Macedonia’s joining NATO soon and reiterated Lithuania’s support to the country’s aspiration to also become a member of the European Union to Deputy Minister of Defence of North Macedonia Bekim Maksuti.
Vice Minister V. Umbrasas and his North Macedonian counterpart discussed security challenges faced by the Baltic and the Balkan regions, relevant aspects of integration into NATO and the EU, as well as initiatives and projects for strengthening further bilateral cooperation. Vice Minister V. Umbrasas stressed that “NATO membership not only brings countries closer together but also commits them to act in order to ensure a stable security environment in the region and the world”.
V. Umbrasas invited North Macedonia to join the allies in Lithuania – the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group. The guests were also interested in Lithuania’s experience in facing disinformation, cyber and hybrid threats, that are also faced by the Baltic region.
Deputy Minister of Defence of North Macedonia B. Maksuti also visited the NATO Energy Security Centre in Vilnius. Director of the Centre Col Romualdas Petkevičius informed the guests about the opportunities and conditions for the country to join the Centre’s activity.
The North Macedonian delegation will also pay a visit to the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and meet with Chief of the Defence Staff Maj Gen Gintautas Zenkevičius and representatives of the NATO Force Integration Unit.
North Macedonia has been a EU candidate since 2005. The country has been implementing its NATO Membership Action Plan since 1999. The unsolved issue of its official name had prevented the country from attaining its EU and NATO membership goals until the turning-point last year – on June 17 a bilateral agreement was signed in Prespa which opened the door for the country’s further integration. On 9 February 2019 the North Atlantic Treaty Accession Protocol was signed in Brussels for the Republic of North Macedonia which has to be ratified by all members of the Alliance.
Photo credits: Giedrė Maksimovicz/MoD
