The President of the Republic of Macedonia and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Zoran Jolevski.

President Ivanov congratulated Minister Jolevski on assuming the post of Defense Minister of the Republic of Macedonia and wished him success.

At the meeting, President Ivanov and Minister Jolevski exchanged views on the development of the Army of Republic of Macedonia in accordance with the NATO priorities within the concept of "smart defense" and on the participation of the Army of Republic of Macedonia in international missions led by NATO, EU and UN. Minister Jolevski briefed President Ivanov on the planned upcoming activities related to the NATO Summit in Wales this year.

Both agreed that despite constitutional and legal obligations and duties of the Ministry of Defense and the Macedonian Army, the reform processes in order to maintain compatibility with NATO standards and Macedonia's membership in the Alliance are top priorities in the coming period. Therefore, future close cooperation and coordination between the Commander-in-Chief, the Ministry of Defense and the Army of the Republic of Macedonia were agreed. They also expressed satisfaction with the fact that the Army is an institution in which citizens have the utmost confidence and expressed willingness to maximum commitment for this perception of the citizens to continue in future.