Skopje, 31 May 2022 (MIA) — Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska as part of her working visit to the United States visited Tuesday the US Army War College in Pennsylvania, a highly ranked U.S. Army educational institution. At the college, Petrovska met with Major General David Hill and the provost James Breckenridge. “The War College follows the highest military standards and I am really pleased that through the International Military Education and Training program with the United States, North Macedonia sends its officers who complete their military education here. This practice will continue and will intensify,” Minister Petrovska said at the meeting. According to the Ministry of Defense, Petrovska stressed that North Macedonia’s Army sends officers who are expected to reach high leadership positions, given that at the US Army War College they gain knowledge to solve complex strategic challenges. She added there was a serious potential for deepening the cooperation between the US Army War College and the General Mihailo Apostolski Military Academy, which educates staff for the country’s Army and the armies of the regional countries. During the visit, Minister Petrovska was briefed on the academic curricula and participated in a panel organized by the college’s European Affairs department, dedicated to European security policy, the new security reality in Europe caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as regional cooperation and regional security challenges. At the US Army War College, Minister Petrovska also met with two Army officers currently studying there: Colonel Naumoski and Lieutenant Colonel Milenkovski. She told them military education was the key to a successful and professional Army as well as building closer ties and stronger cooperation as NATO allies. To date, ten Army officers have attended courses at the US Army War College. mr/