Skopje, 9 December 2021 (MIA) – NATO protects, unites and strengthens. Today we had the opportunity to see with our own eyes how these Alliance tasks occur in practice. We saw how NATO membership has made North Macedonia stronger and more protected, said Defense Minister Radmila Shekerinska after a demonstration of the NATO air policing mission over North Macedonia on Thursday. Minister Shekerinska said North Macedonia’s airspace has fully joined the NATO air policing mission and “the security of the country’s sky is now part of the NATO security”. “This is maybe one of the most visible results of our strategic goal as NATO members. For 72 years, the Alliance has guaranteed the security of an enormous number of citizens. That guarantee was transferred to the air 60 years ago through the air policing mission, and now we have joined that mission,” noted Shekerinska. She added that the country has completed its military integration in NATO in the shortest period possible while continuing to enhance its defense capabilities and contribution in regional security. Lieutenant General Fernando De La Cruz Caravaca, Commander of NATO's Combined Air Operation Centre at Torrejón Air Base, Spain, said the air policing mission is crucial to the realization of the Alliance’s objectives. “It enables allies to work together in guaranteeing the security of the airspace, now including North Macedonia. NATO jets you are seeing here today are the ones that safeguard the peace, stability and prosperity of all citizens, 24/7,” said General De La Cruz. Today’s event marked the official incorporation of North Macedonia’s airspace in the NATO air policing system. https://youtu.be/VThCmVUz1aU