The new ARM contingent, composed of staff officers and one military police platoon and ranger battalion will be deployed during the end of March in Afghanistan in a different task from those thus far, or assistance and aid in the training of the Afghan Security Forces.

This was today noted by the Chief of General Staff of the ARM, Lieutenant General Miroslav Stojanovski, after the meeting with the Commander of the National Guard of the US State of Vermont, Major General Michael Dubie, who from yesterday is on a three-day official visit of Macedonia.

The Chief of GS of the ARM, Stojanovski noted that he is convinced in the capabilities of this contingent to deal with the challenges and to justify the given trust. He underlined that the fruitful 15 year cooperation between the Vermont National Guard and the ARM will be rounded off with the future joint engagement of 79 ARM members in the composition of the Vermont National Guard in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

General Dubie with impressions of the ARM progress in the whole country since his first coming in 1996 until now.

- The respect that we have towards the ARM members is greater. The reputation of the Macedonian soldiers is well known and well documented in their service in Iraq and in Afghanistan, stresses General Dubie. Expressing great satisfaction from the cooperation thus far, he is convinced that the Macedonian and American soldiers may also work together in these critical moments in Afghanistan in the next 18 months.

During the course of the next day General Dubie will visit the contingent in the Skopje “Ilinden” barracks which is preparing for the mission in Afghanistan and he will be assured in all that has been achieved in the process of preparations. Thereby a demonstration exercise will be carried out.

The visit of the delegation from the Vermont National Guard will be also used for examining possibilities for improving the cooperation.

General Dubie was today also received by the Minister of Defence Zoran Konjanovski, and he will also meet the Minister of Interior, Gordana Jankulovska. The delegation from the Vermont National Guard will be received also from the President of the country, Gjorgje Ivanov.

The Vermont National Guard represents a partner to the ARM with whom activities for cooperation with the US Army are realized, coordinated through the military contact program. This programme is being realized through different forms of training, such as: seminars, conferences, visits of military bases, school centres, and institutions in the USA, carrying out joint exercises for the purpose of meeting NATO standards in several fields. From 1995 until now over 200 activities have been realized with the participation of over 4000 members from the ARM and MOD.