Skopje, 17 September 2025 (MIA) – The Chief of the Army General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, took part Wednesday in the 28th Conference of Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) of the US-Adriatic (A-5) member countries, taking place in Tirana, Albania.

According to the Army General Staff, at today’s conference, hosted by Lieutenant General Gojko Knežević, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the discussion focused on the theme “A-5 for Stability and Cooperation: Building a Secure Environment through Civil-Military Synergy and Regional Dialogue.”

During the conference, General Lafchiski underscored the significance of civil-military cooperation among A-5 member countries, especially at a time of global challenges requiring a coordinated and joint response. He further stressed that regional cooperation is a key factor in fostering stability, security, and trust. It was also emphasized that the Army’s strong collaboration with civilian structures in our country stands as a valuable example of the effective use of all societal capacities in responding to the natural disasters that have affected the country.

Following the conference, a joint declaration was signed reaffirming the commitment to strengthening and deepening ties, and to broadening military cooperation in order to improve regional security.

Moreover, General Lafchiski held bilateral meetings with several Chiefs of General Staff from A-5 member countries, in addition to holding talks with the Supreme Commander of NATO's Joint Armed Forces in Europe (SACEUR) and commander of the European Command of the US Armed Forces (EUCOM), Lieutenant General Alexis Grinkevich.

Observers at the conference included military representatives from the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Kosovo Security Force, while the commanders of the National Guards from US partner states of the A-5 countries attended as guests.

A day earlier, conference of the senior non-commissioned officers of the Armed Forces of the A-5 member states was held.

Photo: Army General Staff