The ARM, its members and professional soldiers should not be implicating in politics, stated Minister of Defence Zoran Konjanovski, commenting on tomorrow’s planned protest of the professional soldiers in front of the Macedonian Parliament where the Proposal Law on Service in the ARM will be considered.

- In recent times politics has entered too much in that sphere, which could be seen from the Parliamentary Commission a few days ago. I requested all political parties especially the representatives from SDSM to put aside the ARM members, the professionals and not to implicate politics in the Army, stated Konjanovski, after the Forum “Contribution of Macedonia towards Global Security and World Peace“.

In the ARM, as he mentioned, we have to have the most capable, the best and most prepared, stating that there is no place for politics in the Army.

- I spoke a long time with the professional soldiers, I explained the model that will be part of this law, and that will be the active reserve, I think that this will contribute in strengthening the structures of the professional soldiers. When they signed the contracts they very clearly and unambiguously signed a contract that we are offering them, and that is that the Ministry has an obligation until they reach 38 years of age, after that we have no obligation, but from a moral standpoint we are preparing one programme that will serve for quicker acclimatization towards civilian professions from the moment when they have to leave the ARM, explained the Minister of Defence.

According to him, the best have the opportunity through courses to become NCOs, just like it is in other armies, and those that will not become NCOs will leave the army just like they signed the contracts.

On a journalist question regarding the accusation of VMRO – DPMNE towards the ex-minister of Defence Vlado Buckovski and where the evidence material is coming from, Konjanovski stated that certain companies which could not gain contracts in the Ministry of Defence for a long time, submitted those documents to the Centre for Communications of that party, assuming that they have done that, because they had no access to submit an offer in a transparent manner.

- Where does such courage come from spending more than 100 million in such a non-transparent manner with several companies of relatives connected mutually and serve to send a certain offer that will be received by the Ministry of Defence for carrying out construction activities. I think that this collides with moral principles at least, and for the remaining we will send the whole material to the authorities to see whether that is just or not, stated Konjanovski.