NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte paid an official visit to North Macedonia.
He met with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Speaker of the Assembly Afrim Gashi.
The Secretary General thanked North Macedonia for its contributions to Euro-Atlantic security.
“Your troops serve alongside those of many other allies as part of our Forward Land Forces in Bulgaria and Latvia, keeping our eastern flank secure with reliable deterrence and protection,” he said.
He also praised the country’s unwavering support for Ukraine, including through NATO’s PURL initiative.
Rutte welcomed the fact that North Macedonia devoted more than 2% of GDP to defense in 2025.
“This is vital progress as allies prepare their credible path to achieving 5% of defense spending by 2035“, he emphasized.
He emphasized North Macedonia’s key role in maintaining stability throughout the Western Balkans, including contributions to NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
During his speech in the Assembly of North Macedonia, the Secretary General said that the Western Balkans remains a priority for NATO.
“We must leave problems in the past. Divisive rhetoric is reckless and dangerous, it is the enemy of progress. We can never allow peace to be compromised“, he said.
The visit ended at the Ilinden Barracks, where Rutte was received by Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski and thanked the military personnel for their service.
