Petrovska-Černochová: North Macedonia and Czech Republic strengthen defence cooperation

Skopje, 28 February 2023 (MIA) - Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska, who is paying Tuesday an official visit to the Czech Republic, has been welcomed with highest military honours in Prague.

Minister Petrovska and her Czech counterpart Jana Černochová during the talks agreed that the recently signed agreement on helicopter overhaul between the two governments will strengthen and intensify bilateral and defence cooperation between the states.

“The recently concluded agreement for the overhaul of two helicopters of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia is another proof of stregthening our cooperation in defence, but also of our closeness in the Alliance,” Petrovska said, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.

Evaluating the bilateral cooperation as excellent, Minister Petrovska underscored that the Czech Republic is not only our close NATO ally, but also a vocal supporter of the European integration of North Macedonia.

“The Czech Republic is a reliable and vocal supporter of the North Macedonia’s European integration and for that we are grateful and count on the Czech support in the future as well,” Petrovska stressed.

She added that the accession of North Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries to the EU will give a positive impetus to the security of the region.

“The current geopolitical reality imposes the need to speed up and encourage new dynamics in the process of the European integration of North Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries, because the negative influences on the Balkans will be mitigated and at the same time more favorable conditions will be created for solving the open issues,” Petrovska said.

During her visit to the Czech Parliament, Minister Petrovska met with Chairman of the Defence Committee Lubomír Metnar.

Later in the day, Minister Petrovska will visit the aviation company LOM Praha, where the army transport helicopters will be overhauled in the coming period based on an intergovernmental agreement concluded in December 2022.