Skopje, 19 November 2025 (MIA) - An army delegation led by Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, participated in NATO’s Southern Commanders Coordination Conference 2025 (SCCC) on Nov 16-19, the General Staff of the Army said in a press release Wednesday.

“As part of the Conference, on Wednesday, Lafchiski attended the change of command ceremony at the Joint Force Command Naples (JFCNP), where Admiral Stuart Munsch handed over command to Admiral George Wikoff,” the General Staff of the Army said. 

Representatives of six NATO partner countries, members of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and the Mediterranean Dialogue also attended the SCCC. 

During the Conference, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army held separate meetings with both the outgoing and incoming commanders of JFCNP, as well as with the Chiefs of General Staff of allied and partner countries from the region. The meetings included exchanges of views on areas of mutual interest and discussions on opportunities to enhance regional cooperation with the aim of strengthening security. 

SCCC 2025 is an annual conference attended by the Chiefs of General Staff from 13 NATO member states that are part of the Joint Operational Area – Southeast, as well as the commanders of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps from Italy, Greece, and Türkiye. Also participating are the commanders of the KFOR mission (Kosovo Force), the NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI), and the EU operation ALTHEA.

Photo: General Staff of the Army