Skopje, 27 March 2025 (MIA) - ATS Group, the only Macedonian defense company, signed Thursday a memorandum of cooperation with Türkiye's largest state-owned defense company MKE.

The memorandum was signed by the owner and CEO of ATS Group Shefshet Demirovski and the Director-General of MKE, Ilhami Keles.

According to the signatories, the memorandum will encourage the activities of both companies and boost their presence on the international market, especially in Türkiye and North Macedonia.

The cooperation includes the transfer of technology, technical knowledge and expertise on production and the improvement of production capacities; modernization of production lines; improvement of export capabilities; mutual research on boosting export potential on international markets; training and technical assistance, as well as the development of training programs and improving technical expertise.

The memorandum will also include joint investments and the opening of a new gunpowder factory in North Macedonia.

The signing ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski, Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski and the Turkish Deputy Minister of National Defense Musa Heybet. 

Mucunski said the goal of the memorandum is to establish a cooperation framework for the defense industry, including strategic activities and the production of defense industry products. “The partnership between the two companies is of great importance for the country as a NATO member,” the Foreign Minister said.

“This signing is not only a corporate decision but a firm message of faith in our industrial capacities and a recognition of our human resources potential,” Mucunski said.

The Turkish Deputy Minister of National Defense Musa Heybet expressed his satisfaction with the signing of the memorandum, “which is a strategic step that further strengthens the relations between the two allied and friendly countries”.

Photo: MIA