Skopje, 22 September 2022 (MIA) - The Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Lt. General Vasko Gjurchinovski participated Thursday in the 25th US-Adriatic (A-5) Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) conference, which took place in Budva, Montenegro. “This year's conference, hosted by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Montenegro. Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic alongside the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli and Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, the participants discussed the security challenges in the region of the Western Balkans and developing joint capacities of the A5 armies, in order to deal with them,” Defence Ministry said in a press release. General Gjurchinovski in his remarks underscored the commitment of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia in the process of fully implementing the set goals of achieving the necessary capabilities and capacities, in line with the defence plan. He referred to the importance of promoting mutual military cooperation in all areas, primarily through sharing and pooling of capacities, joint training and exercises in order to deal with the increased security challenges and improve stability and security in the region and beyond. After the end of the conference, a joint statement was signed by the participants, in which, in addition to the expressed concern about the situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which violates international law and democratic principles and values, they reaffirmed a strong commitment to further strengthening relations and military cooperation between the armies of the member states of the US-Adriatic Charter. At the same time, it was underlined that the deepening of mutual cooperation, joint activities, mutual interoperability and capacities for cyber defence will enable an efficient confrontation with modern security challenges and improvement of regional security. General Gjurchinovski, on the sidelines of the conference held several bilateral meetings with his colleagues, including General Christopher Cavoli. The Chiefs of Defence of the armies of the member countries of the US-Adriatic Charter (North Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro), the Commander of the European Command of the US Armed Forces for Europe and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the representatives of the National Guard (NG) from the United States partnering with the A5 countries, as well as representatives of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Kosovo Security Force as observers participated in the conference, reads the press release. The main non-commissioned officers of the armies of the A-5 member states also held a conference on Wednesday. The forming of the US-Adriatic Charter was signed in 2003, which in addition to the United States as a patron, the Republic of North Macedonia, Albania and Croatia committed to develop the regional cooperation in the field of defense through an institutional framework. In 2008, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro joined the initiative, and Serbia, Kosovo and Slovenia have a status of observer. Conferences of the Chiefs of Defence of the armies of country members of the US-Adriatic Charter (A-5) are held once a year on a rotating basis. The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia will host the 26th US-Adriatic (A-5) Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) conference, which will take place in 2023.