Skopje, 17 August 2022 (MIA) – Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska met Wednesday with Major General Gregory Knight, Commander of the National Guard of Vermont, who arrived in Skopje on the occasion of the Army Day and the Army’s 30th anniversary. “The Republic of North Macedonia and the US state of Vermont have close cooperation from which we and the National Guard of Vermont learn, develop together and increase our capacities as NATO allies,” concluded Minister Petrovska and Major General Knight. “We are ambitious because we know that if we are as committed as we have been, there is no limit to what we can achieve both in the sphere of interoperability and in developing the skills and capabilities of members of the Army and the Vermont National Guard,” Petrovska said. Minister Petrovska said that there is no better example of unity than what we all witnessed during the month of May, when members of the army and members of the Vermont National Guard took part in the NATO exercise 'Swift Response 22' at the Krivolak army training area. Minister Petrovska thanked General Knight and the National Guard for their continued support in the development of the Army unit's for nuclear, biological and chemical defence capabilities. During the meeting, Minister Petrovska also referred to future plans in cooperation as the realization of ‘Defender 23’ exercise next year, the possibilities for expanding cooperation through a trilateral partnership between North Macedonia, Vermont (USA) and Austria, as well as the development of cyber defence capability and the development of the non-commissioned officer corps, which is the backbone of the Army. General Knight said that the Vermont National Guard remains strongly committed to the partnership with North Macedonia, which can serve as an excellent example of how to jointly develop the interoperability that is key in NATO. The state partnership program with the Vermont National Guard was initiated in 1994, and to date more than 7,000 members of the Army have been part of the joint activities. The National Guard of Vermont was awarded the Order of Merit, and Minister Petrovska will present a plaque to General Knight on the occasion of the army’s 30th anniversary and long-term successful cooperation.