Skopje, 27 June 2023 (MIA) - In an interview with TV24, Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said the rapid pace of modernization of the Army continues supported by significant investments. 

"Two segments are very important in the process of modernization of the Army. First, it is important to have a stable and sustainable plan that can be implemented, and second, to have appropriate funding, i.e. budgeting. It is a fact in the case with defense," said Petrovska. 

She added that strategic documents, which contain plans for the development of segments of specific segments of the Army with specific deadlines, are already in place and are being implemented accordingly, with appropriate budgeting, and that has been missing before 2018. 

"There is a major gap of ten years with no major investments in defense, which is not the case since 2018. The increase in the budget every year by a certain rate has led us to 1.85 percent of GDP this year, funds that have been allocated to the Ministry of Defense and the Army with the intention of having that percentage reach 2 percent next year, in line with the plans," Petrovska said. 

She pointed out that 32 JLT vehicles have arrived, and Stryker vehicles are expected in 2024 as planned. The Minister also commented on ongoing purchase of other types of equipment. 

"The Ministry and the Army already have a plan on how to use the funds for the next year. The purchase of JLTVs and Strykers, the contracts we signed last year with Turkey for the purchase of an artillery system, with France for the purchase of an air defense system, with the Czech Republic for the overhaul of two helicopters which will be used until the new helicopters arrive, regarding which the procedure is already nearing the end, are multi-year and since they involve huge sums of financial resources, they are planned to be paid for several years," Petrovska noted.

She reiterated that every decision on donation of equipment is made on the basis of positive opinion of the expert body, i.e. the General Staff of the Army, adding that the equipment that has been donated in line with the country's strategic documents is not planned to be used and is not in accordance with the standards of the Alliance.

"When any decision is made, a request arrives from the Ukrainian side, and that request states what equipment they need. The information comes to me, and I forward it to the General Staff of the Army, which is actually the most expert body in the Macedonian Army and which gives an assessment whether we can respond positively, and whether giving that specific equipment will possibly impair the combat readiness of the Army. I responsibly claim that every single decision that has been made so far has gone through this procedure," the Minister pointed out.

Photo: Ministry of Defense