President Stevo Pendarovski met on Thursday with Vermont National Guard Commander, Major General Gregory Knight.

They discussed during the meeting successful cooperation between Macedonia’s Army and the Vermont National Guard, expressed through participation in peace missions, joint trainings and education of members of both armies, the President’s Office said in a press release.

The interlocutors also concluded that Macedonia’s NATO membership makes an additional contribution to the progress, development and stability of the Balkans.

President Pendarovski thanked for the overall US assistance, as well as for the support in the field of defense, which is the basis for expanding cooperation in other areas of common interest.

Major General Knight stressed the role of the Macedonian Army and its participation in international missions as extremely successful and underlined that Macedonia’s NATO membership is more than deserved.

At the meeting, they also exchanged views and information on the current situation in Afghanistan, where Macedonia’s Army and the Vermont National Guard coordinated their missions, which aimed to ensure stability and promote the building of a democratic society.