Skopje, 26 June 2023 (MIA) – In an interview for TV Sitel on Monday, Minister of Defense Slavjanka Petrovska said that in order for any talks to be held over the constitutional amendments, both SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE must have clearly defined positions. SDSM’s position, stressed Petrovska, has been clear and unchanged since the very beginning, which, she added, cannot be said for VMRO-DPMNE.

According to Petrovska, there is nothing contentious about the constitutional amendments, and political courage must be demonstrated over their adoption. 

The Defense Minister said such important national issues should not be used as part of an election campaign.

“SDSM’s position has been clear and unchanged since the first day. We are ready for constitutional amendments which mean a continuation of the EU path, but unfortunately we can’t say the same about VMRO-DPMNE. First, they need to state if their proposals are their final answer because they started off by saying they don’t accept the constitutional amendments, only then to say they do. As a citizen, my question and dilemma is, what is contentious about these constitutional amendments, considering it is Bulgaria itself that asks that the Bulgarians are included as a minority within the Constitution of North Macedonia, thereby dismissing the thesis that we are a single people living in two countries. If the inclusion of the Bulgarians is unacceptable for VMRO-DPMNE, then I worry whether they agree with this thesis about a single people in two countries,” said Petrovska.

“The past reminds us,” Petrovska added, “that VMRO-DPMNE has courage, but only when it is in the opposition or ahead of elections, and once it comes in power, the courage immediately disappears.”

Asked about the situation in the north of Kosovo, the Defense Minister assessed that it is really concerning, not because there are direct security threats for North Macedonia, but because, she said, “it isn’t good, nor politically correct to have a conflict anywhere at this moment, especially not in the region.”

“Our Army is present there as part of the KFOR contingent, but this is more of an issue of sending political messages both in Kosovo and in Serbia, that the Balkans do not need a new conflict. When we go to elections we promise peace and security, and we need to fulfill this promise,” said Petrovska.

The Minister noted that the combat capabilities of the Macedonian Army have never dropped, and stressed that the equipment provided to Ukraine was redundant, and the Macedonian Army was going to replace it either way as part of its modernization plan, in line with the NATO standards and needs. 

Petrovska said the Budget of the Ministry of Defense and the Army has been drastically growing since 2018, and will reach two percent in 2024, adding that over 30 percent of it is used to acquire new equipment and armaments.

The Defense Minister also spoke about the hoax bomb threats that were sent to schools last year, saying that the public should finally receive an answer about the perpetrators.

“I trust in the investigations of the Ministry of Interior that are being carried out in coordination with the Prosecutor’s Office. Several individuals were detected. The public should finally receive an answer over who was behind the threats, so that we aren’t left with any doubts,” said Petrovska.

Regarding the Idrizovo penitentiary, where members of the Army are engaged in support of the police officers. Petrovska clarified that this is being carried out in line with the recommendations of the Assessment Group and the declared state of crisis due to the lack of staff, as a result of retirements and the inability to fill the empty positions in time.

“A decision was made to declare a 30-day state of crisis, which meant around 20 members of the Army were engaged, apart from the police officers. The process of hiring new staff has begun, and we expect the Assessment Group to state whether the conditions are there to continue the state of crisis or not,” said Petrovska.

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