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ACO CSELs visits FYROM

SKOPJE, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* --

Command Sgt. Major Davor Petek, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of Allied Command Operations, and CSM Jürgen Stark, CSEL of Joint Force Command Naples, visited Skopje and surrounding military camps December 3 and 4, 2018.

Major General Vasko Gjurchinovski, FYROM Chief of General Staff, and CSM Sveto Cvetkovski, CSEL of FYROM Armed Forces, with a team of senior enlisted advisors, discussed their current military status, challenges and potential reforms with the NATO CSELs. 

"FYROM soldiers have a long history of partnership with NATO, including years of support in Afghanistan and Kosovo,” said Command Sgt. Major Petek. "Visiting the leaders on the ground and gaining first-hand insight into the hearts and minds of the soldiers here is essential to understanding how NATO can continue to support FYROM and how to best help with the development of their NCO corps.”

During the trip, Command Sgt. Major Petek and Command Sgt. Major Stark also met with members of the NATO Liaison Office Skopje, the Individual Training Centre, and the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade.

[Joint Force Command Naples] has worked with FYROM for years, including our Joint Mobile Training Teams (JMTT) partnering with their armed forces,” said Command Sgt. Major Stark. "Meeting with the leaders and soldiers here has highlighted the familiarization between their military and NATO, but there is always more we can do on each side. That’s what we came to find out.”

FYROM joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) in 1995 and actively supports the NATO-led missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

*Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.