The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today visited the commands and units of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia in the "Ilinden" barracks in Skopje.

President Ivanov visited the honors battalion, the communications battalion, the engineer battalion, military police battalion, the special force and Ranger battalion within the special operations regiment, and was informed of the current status of these units of the Army. The Macedonian President attended the training of different units of the Army, with various specialties and visited the premises for life and work of the active military personnel, where he perceived the working conditions and the functioning of the "Ilinden" barracks.

President Ivanov said that the Macedonian Army presents a high level of professionalism and commitment to professional and specialized training, despite the financial challenges it faces. The Macedonian President noted that in terms of enhanced engagement on the southern border in support of the Border Police, the Army members successfully pursue earmarked tasks.

"Currently, one of the priority tasks of the Army is deployment on the southern border in support of the Border Police, but being here today I saw that the other tasks are not neglected. Besides its main task, which is to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Macedonia, the Army, three months ago, in the flooded areas proved to be the institution with the greatest capacity when it comes to response and assistance to citizens in times of natural disasters", the Macedonian President stressed.

During the visit, President Ivanov met with the commanders of the battalions located in the "Ilinden" barracks and was informed about the current situation and challenges facing the lower level of command in the Army, in order to improve the quality of training and the standard of the Macedonian Army.

In the coming period, President Ivanov will visit other garrisons of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia in order to see personally the situation in the Army.