President Stevo Pendarovski confirmed that the Macedonian candidate for a military representative to NATO, colonel Zoran Sekulovski, failed the security check and will not be allowed to assume the position. Pendarovski said that he is the second Macedonian security official who failed the background check and will not be allowed to access NATO secrets.

Sekulovski is a top Defense Ministry official, who remained to serve in Yugoslav army during the bloody break-up of that country, before eventually returning to Macedonia to join the newly formed independent military. Pendarovski added that he expects a dozen people to be denied access to the security clearance.

The checks are on possible contacts with what they refer to as malignant states, entities and individuals, essentially spy channels and communications. The other line that is being checked is high level corruption, Pendarovski said.