Radmila Sekerinska

With the signing of the joint declaration with NATO, the process of military integration of the Republic of North Macedonia in the command structures and in the structure of the Alliance forces will be officially completed today, the electronic edition of the Nezavisen newspaper notes.

In geopolitical terms, unlike many other Balkan countries, especially Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia did not see North Macedonia as part of its immediate strategic interests in the region.

This will happen unless Skopje extradites 15 Turkish nationals Ankara accuses of taking part in a failed coup in 2016, the article said, citing Balkan Insight.

The defense ministers of Greece and Turkey, Evangelos Apostolakis and Hulusi Akar, said on Wednesday after talks in Brussels that technical teams from both countries will be tasked with drafting a framework of confidence-building measures in a bid to reduce tensions in the Aegean.

North Macedonia's defense minister, Radmila Sekerinska, says she's filled with pride as her country takes a seat at NATO's table for the first time.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Sekerinska said North Macedonia has "shown that change is possible if you have the right amount of political leadership."

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) wants to find a way to break the 26-year deadlock with Greece over its official name, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska told the Guardian on Friday.

Police arrested the five people at their homes on Tuesday on suspicion that they were accomplices to the attempted murder of MP Zijadin Sela.

Skopje's Criminal Court on Thursday jailed 65-year-old Pance Angelov for four years for taking part in the mob assault on parliament in April that injured several MPs.

He was seen in video footage from parliament violently pulling the hair of then MP, now Defence Minister, Radmila Sekerinska.

Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov will discuss issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation in the military sphere with Macedonia's Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska in Skopje today, reported Mediapool.

Minister Karakachanov will raise the question of holding a joint exercise between the special forces of the two countries scheduled for the next year.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Accusations about Russia's alleged interfering in the internal affairs of FYROM (Macedonia) are "fabricated and unfounded," says MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.