The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has arrived in Skopje for an official visit. He was welcomed at Skopje International Airport by North Macedonia’s Minister of Defense, Vlado Misajlovski.
“It is an honor to welcome NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. In times of serious security challenges, it is particularly important that we contribute together to security, peace, and stability,” Misajlovski wrote on Facebook.
From the airport, Rutte and his delegation headed to Villa Vodno, where he is being received by President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. The Secretary General is being welcomed with the highest state and military honors, followed by a one-on-one meeting and a plenary session between the delegations of North Macedonia and NATO. A joint press conference is also scheduled.
Rutte is also set to meet Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi, after which he will address members of parliament.
Additionally, Rutte will visit the Ilinden Barracks, where he will attend a presentation of the Army’s Light Infantry Battalion Group (LPBG) and some of its equipment. The event will include Defense Minister Misajlovski, Chief of the General Staff Major General Sashko Lafçiski, senior army generals, and representatives from the Ministry of Defense.
This marks Rutte’s first visit to Skopje as NATO Secretary General. He previously visited the country in November 2021 as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
