Following a military demonstration during the maneuvers held on the Krivolak army range, Zoran Zaev gave a statement praising the Prespa treaty, signed a year ago today, as a move which brought benefits to the country.

In Prespa we gained a new friend. It’s not that we had serious enmity with Greece but it was a bad, bitter feeling and we were stuck in our integrations. A year later we see the benefits as implications of this military exercise as we are ready to become a full NATO member in a few months. This is a major strategic goal for “our country”, our entire region, for the Republic of North Macedonia which had conflicts not centuries ago but 17-18 years ago, Zaev said, referring to the 2001 Albanian insurgency in Macedonia.

Zaev promised that the EU integration process will be unstuck as well, despite his failure to keep his promise of opening accession talks this summer.

The US led Decisive Strike military exercise includes troops from Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Lithuania.