Skopje, 4 April 2023 (MIA) — As part of North Macedoni's celebrating its NATO membership anniversary and the Alliance's 74th anniversary on NATO Day, Minister of Defense Slavjanka Petrovska attended the launch of a series of conversations with students and faculty at state universities.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the first event was held Tuesday at Shtip's Goce Delchev University, where participants discussed the topic of current geopolitical developments and the NATO 2030 Strategic Concept.

Among other things, Minister Petrovska pointed out that young people were welcome in the Ministry of Defense and the Army, encouraging them to stay and work in the country.

Petrovska also talked about the benefits of North Macedonia's NATO membership, highlighting the country's stronger security.

"The Republic of North Macedonia is part of the Alliance's collective defense system," she said.

"The NATO rule is that when you are in NATO, you are never alone. This means we can rely on our partners in other member countries who will help us when we need it most," the defense minister said.

"Even more important," she added, "is that now we are a NATO member country, they are helping us strengthen our own defense capacities."

Petrovska noted that strong defense was key in the European Union accession process, as well.

"By building our defense we are building our present, but even more importantly we are investing in our country's future," she said.

Petrovska also discussed the modernization of the Army, the war in Ukraine, and answered students' questions on Europe's new security architecture, the press release says.

While in Shtip, the defense minister also visited the Shtip Jane Sandanski barracks and attended its "Open Day," a public event that included a display of military equipment and army members performing a military drill. mr/