Address by President of the Republic of Macedonia and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Dr. Gjorge Ivanov at the opening session of the Conference “The Role of the Active and Reserve Component of the Armed Forces in Support of their Missions and Tasks in Regional and Global Security in the 21st century”:

In the year when we are celebrating two decades since the establishment of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, I was very pleased to accept the invitation to take part in this event. An event dedicated to the importance and role of the active component and the reserve of the armed forces in the 21st century. 

We recently marked the 20th anniversary of the day when the component of the reserve officers took over the defence of our country. It is patriotism in action, dedication that does not end when the uniform is taken off. Dedication that we are grateful for.

Dear guests,
Persistence is a characteristic of the courageous. We know that the courage of the reserve component of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia remains equally strong and unchanged. On the other hand, the world is changing. Security in the 21st century must be comprehensive in order to be sustainable. It should guarantee the welfare of both the individual and the society. Of the country and the international community as well.

The risks from one part of the world are reflected in other parts of the world as well. The challenges of today – global terrorism, proliferation of WMD, international organized crime – are a threat to all of us. We therefore invest in our and European security. To that end, the Republic of Macedonia has made available in continuity its peace keepers in defence of the values of freedom and democracy as part of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

I believe that in these changed conditions we can still rely on you. I want you to know that there is a real need for reserve forces. We have an active component of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, but we have also planned for an active reserve. I believe that the reserve component should have an appropriate role and place in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Army that has met the criteria for NATO membership.

Unfortunately, as it has been stated many times, formally, but not essentially, our wish has been impeded due to an absurd and imposed dispute. We are not satisfied, but we are not discouraged either. Despite the dissatisfaction, we are not going to abandon the partnership. Despite the obstacle, we remain focused on what is our part of the obligations. The correctness of our responsible behaviour to date has only been confirmed by the ruling of the International Court of Justice. A ruling that offers a new legal dimension and requires a new approach by all NATO member states. An approach that means compliance with the ruling and the international law. All this means that the NATO member states should re-examine their positions regarding Macedonia’s membership to NATO. The compliance with the ruling, the international law and finally the Interim Accord, implies that the Bucharest decision should be reconsidered in Chicago.

At the very end, I would like to wish successful work to the organizers and participants at this important Conference.

Thank you.