EU Military Committee Chairman Graziano Visits Macedonia

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis meets with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia Radmila Šekerinska during a visit to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2018. (DoD photo by Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith)

The Chairman of the Military Committee of the EU Claudio Graziano paid an official visit to Macedonia on Friday. Graziano, who is the first ever Chairman of the Military Committee of the EU to visit Macedonia, was welcomed at the Defence Ministry by the Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska and the Chief of Staff of the Macedonian Army (ARM), Major General Vasko Gjurcinovski. “The interlocutors spoke about and welcomed the continuity of the process for ratification of the NATO Protocol for Accession of North Macedonia, and expressed hope that this October the EU will determine a date for start of the membership negotiations with North Macedonia. General Graziano praised the professionalism of the soldiers in ARM and their participation in international missions, pointing out that this way North Macedonia plays a significant role in the global processes for dealing with security challenges,” writes the Defence Ministry in a press release. Gneral Graziano also paid a visit to the Ilinden Military Headquarters of ARM, as well as the premises of the Delegation of the EU to Macedonia.