Macedonia to Participate in NATO Meeting of Foreign Ministers

Macedonia is about to attend its first ever Meeting of Foreign Ministers of NATO as a full-fledged member-state of the Alliance on Thursday. The meeting will take place via video link instead at the NATO headquarters in Brussels due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. NATO Sec Gen Jens Stoltenberg informed that the NATO foreign ministers are to discuss the ongoing Covid-19 situation, as well as other security topics. “Tomorrow, we will welcome the Republic of North Macedonia as our thirtieth member at this ministerial. So even in difficult times, we continue to look forward,” Stoltenberg said, adding that Macedonia is currently using a NATO crisis response system to coordinate the approach of state institutions towards the COVID-19 epidemic. “Across NATO, Allied armed forces are playing a key role in domestic response as well. They are providing vital support to civilian efforts. Including with field hospitals, transport of patients, disinfection of public areas, and securing border crossings,” Stoltenberg added. At the Thursday meeting Macedonia will be represented by Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, who will take part in the meeting via video-link from the premises of the Foreign Ministry in Skopje. “After North Macedonia formally joined NATO on 27 March 2020, and following the flag-raising ceremonies at the NATO headquarters and military commands, this is the first time FM Dimitrov will actively participate in a discussion of priority issues and activities of the Alliance,” the Macedonian Foreign Ministry reports in a press release.