Today, at a ceremonial session, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia marked the fourth anniversary of the membership of the country into NATO.
The session, attended by the members of the Government, was presided by the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, the Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska and the First Deputy Prime Minister, Bojan Maricic, also took the floor.
PM Xhaferi in his address underlined the following: “Tomorrow we mark the 4th anniversary of our full-fledged membership into NATO. This anniversary is of exceptional importance to me personally because I am honoured to speak as a Prime Minister of a country that no longer dreams of this strategic goal, but actively contributes to and is a highly appreciated member of the most powerful alliance of the world.
Looking into the ongoing crises throughout the world and all hot spots, the correctness of all the tough decisions that led us to today's NATO membership is proven. We see and hear the atrocities throughout the world, but without fear, because we know that NATO is the strongest security guarantee. That is the proof that every sacrifice made was worth it!".
The session was also addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, who emphasized: "Our membership in the Alliance represents a significant contribution to the construction of a stable and safe region, which is of particular importance in this period when we are facing the current security challenges caused by Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
As a member of NATO, North Macedonia is not only a factor of stabilization of the Region, but also an incentive for the countries in our neighbourhood, which have the will and are ready to stand behind the common Euro-Atlantic values and goals", said Osmani, noting that from a beneficiary of security , North Macedonia is transforming into a security-producing country, contributing to multinational operations led by NATO.
The Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska, also addressed the ceremonial session, emphasizing: "The first key benefit is that with North Macedonia's membership in NATO, there will never be a question whether our sovereignty, integrity and the security of citizens can be threatened. It cannot.
For a country that has a little more than three decades of independence and is located in the Balkans, membership in NATO means a huge confirmation of its position internationally and a remarkable success. So, security comes first, then of course security and stability guarantee investments and a better economic situation in the country. That is why NATO membership was a strategic goal of the country from the first moment of its independence, and we should be proud that we realized it.
For four years now, we are not a topic on the table as a Balkan country that needs to be helped, but we are equal with all member countries, and we decide together. North Macedonia, from a country that the international community helped to keep the peace, is now a country that actively contributes to regional security. And there can be no question of violating our security by anyone, because in that case we have an alliance of 32 countries behind us.
Congratulations on the 4th anniversary of NATO membership. We took a big commitment, a huge responsibility and achieved a result. May this great historical success of our generation be celebrated."
The first deputy prime minister, Bojan Maricic, also took the floor and underlined the following: "This day, four years after we became a member of NATO, in practice denies the scepticism and reservations and spasms of five years ago. Today we have the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate and be proud of North Macedonia, a member of NATO.
Today there are circumstances that indicate to us that we have made the right decision, that we have been on the right side. We have a war in Ukraine, and we are on the safe border line in Europe. We have countries like Finland and Sweden that have been militarily neutral for centuries and that have changed their foreign and security policy of neutrality to become members of NATO where we are already a member. We have a situation in the region in which 3/6 of the countries from the Western Balkans are NATO member countries, and we are among those three together with Albania and Montenegro.
That may seem like a given to us today, but we fought for it hard and with great political sacrifices. But it only reminds us that tough decisions are really valuable for both the citizens and the state. And that the difficult decisions we have to make related to EU membership will surely cost us, the politicians, but be sure that when we celebrate the anniversary of EU membership, the citizens will be grateful to us."
