Skopje, 9 April 2026 (MIA) - A new era and years for the history books are coming for the Macedonian Army, with hundreds of millions, even billions to be used for modernization purposes. The Macedonian Army will be at a higher level and we'll be proud of it, a modern army possessing great firepower, says Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski.

Minister Misajlovski told Sitel that this week's Strategic Dialogue with the United States in Washington referred to the allocation of 3.5 percent of the GDP for the purchase of equipment over the next decade, primarily from the U.S.

"We will implement the 10-year plan and what NATO requires of us, step by step. There will be reactions, but you see what is happening in the region and on the geopolitical stage, two wars are happening in parallel and all countries are purchasing equipment. We must look for ourselves and make deals with big countries as soon as possible, because waiting times are long in these circumstances. The Defense Ministry budget will go up, turning us into a factor of stability, providing support in various missions and increasing interoperability at all levels," says Misajlovski.

He adds that efforts will also include the option of involving domestic companies, thus spending a portion of the funds in the country.

"The meetings in Washington also highlighted our loyalty to the United States and its position as a partner and NATO ally. The most important thing is that now, and hopefully in the future, we are a country producing the highest level of stability in the region," notes Misajlovski.

Discussions also tackled the enhancement of the country's cybersecurity capacities.

"The ministry has its own cybersecurity capacities and we maybe are most equipped for monitoring of threats and risks. We are fully cooperating with the U.S. on this issue and they are providing support in order to detect all possible risks," says Misajlovski.

Asked about the risks that the country is facing, the Defense Minister says "the security landscape is changing by the day" with the economic challenges being the most prevalent.

"The second aspect is cyber and hybrid threats, which other countries face as well, through proxy elements, and we will have to monitor these developments," concludes Misajlovski.

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