The last day of Field Study 2 was devoted to the Republic of North Macedonia. A delegation headed by the Republic of North Macedonia’s Defence Minister H.E. Radmila Sherekinska Jankovsksa briefed Senior Course 138 on the nation’s defence and international practices.
On 7 May, a North Macedonian delegation visited the NATO Defense Collège, joining Senior Course 138 in their virtual visit to the Republic of North Macedonia during Field Study 2. The Republic of North Macedonia’s Minister of Defence, H.E. Radmila Sherekinska Jankovsksa, signed the guest book after her office call with the Commandant and the Dean of the College, prior to addressing Senior Course 138. “It is a huge privilege as a Minister of Defence to be here and to address you not only as a centre of military knowledge but also as a centre for developing critical thinking”, she stated.
In her address, Minister Sherekinska Jankovsksa recounted the country’s journey to becoming a NATO member. The 30 year-long path to becoming NATO’s 30th Ally was a long learning process for the country; two of the most important lessons were: leadership and the ability to change. This year North Macedonia celebrates its first anniversary as a NATO member, a very important milestone highlighted by the Minister in her words to Course Members “we are now part of something bigger, stronger and better”. The lecture was followed by an enriching Q&A session.
COL Goran Ilioski, Head of Department for Policy and Planning/MOD, lectured on the perspectives of the Republic of North Macedonia as a new NATO member. The last presentation was given by BGEN Simeon Trajkovski, Head of J–5/General Staff, focusing on NATO membership as a trigger to the transformation and modernization of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia. BGEN (Ret.) Ilija Nikolovski, Deputy President of the Commission for Security and Defence of the Parliament, opened the second half of the session briefing Course Members on Parliament’s relations with the NATO Alliance, the Commission’s activities related to security sector reform and hybrid threats. Mr Zoran Popov, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took the floor to talk about regional developments, security and stability in the Western Balkans. The last presentation of the session was delivered by Mr Perica Jovanovski, Head of Unit for the Security of Classified Information in the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), who briefed on MOI procedures, obligations and challenges, in the NATO context. The last day of SC 138’s Field Study 2 concluded with the closing thanks.
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