NATO Secretary General & the President of North Macedonia 🇲🇰Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, 03 MAR 2026

Описание: Joint press point by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, 3 March 2026.

🗣 | NATO Secretary General:

Dear Gordana,

Thank you very much for hosting me here, in beautiful Skopje, today.

North Macedonia is a staunch and valued NATO Ally.

Contributing in so many ways to our shared security.

Your troops serve alongside those from many other Allies as part of our Forward Land Forces in Bulgaria and Latvia.

Keeping our eastern flank secure with credible deterrence and defence.

I have the honour of meeting some of your service members at the Ilinden Barracks later today.

I welcome that North Macedonia devoted more than 2% of its GDP to defence spending in 2025. This is vital progress as Allies, including North Macedonia, prepare their credible path to reach 5% of defence spending by 2035, as you already mentioned.

This is no time to be complacent; all Allies have to do more.

Increasing investment in defence and ramping up production is key to reaching our agreed capability targets. And to fully resourcing the NATO plans, activities, and missions. The result is more security, more economic growth and more jobs.

I also commend North Macedonia’s steadfast support for Ukraine, including your valuable contributions to our command in Germany that provides Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine.

And to our PURL initiative, delivering vital military aid.

We must keep up the momentum. So that Ukraine can defend itself against Russian terror from the skies.

Hold the frontlines.

Help to sustain peace when the fighting stops.

And deter any future aggression from Russia.

From our eastern flank to your own neighbourhood, it is clear that we need to work together to support our shared security. And here North Macedonia plays a crucial role in safeguarding stability across the Western Balkans.

A region of, indeed, strategic important to our Alliance.

Our commitment to the region’s stability is steadfast. And we will not allow a security vacuum to emerge.

North Macedonia has long supported our KFOR peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. And for that I thank you.

KFOR continues to play a fundamental role in support of lasting security, for the benefit of all people living in Kosovo.

We will continue to ensure that KFOR remains robust and fit for purpose.

NATO is committed to defending every inch of Allied territory, wherever the challenge may come from.

We are just four months from our next NATO Summit in Ankara, this July.

Preparations are well under way.

In Ankara we must be able to demonstrate that Allies are making tangible progress to increase investment in defence, ramp up defence production, and continue our support for Ukraine.

I know we can count on North Macedonia to play its part.

Madam President, dear Gordana,

Thank you once again for hosting me today.

And for North Macedonia’s continued contribution to Euro-Atlantic security.

Again, thank you so much.
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