POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MILITARY EXERCISE "DECISIVE STRIKE 2019"

The membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in NATO is a logical ending of the processes that started with the independence of the country back in 1991. In the light of all challenges the country was facing in the past period of almost three decades, we can say that the Macedonian army, the Macedonian society and the citizens are now ready for membership and aware of the benefits but also of the obligations.

In the eve of our full membership, preparations are ongoing for another military exercise – Decisive Strike 2019 that will include participants from our army and the armies of United States, Albania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Montenegro.[1]

According to information from NATO and the Ministry of Defense, no such military exercise has ever been carried out in North Macedonia. It will include more than 2,700 soldiers and senior officers from these countries. The material and technical means that will be used are also admirable and this will enable realistic comparison of how much the soldiers are ready to implement operations under the NATO umbrella.

As a military and political alliance, NATO pays serious attention to the operability and equipping of each member of the armies of member states. The organization of such events is a challenge for every country and not all countries, in the period before their membership, have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness and good managerial procedures for organizing such large-scale events with remarkable political and military significance. The political message that is sent by the partner countries, as well as the confidence given to us, is a result of years of efforts for preparation for full membership. Particularly sensitive is the moment of organizing the exercise and it can be said that it comes at a time when North Macedonia should show real maturity and readiness for serious, profound and systemic changes in many areas of the social life. Just weeks before the decision on whether the country will receive a date for start of the EU membership negotiations, we have a unique opportunity to present ourselves as a country in a light that will give our NATO friends the opportunity to reassure themselves in the ability of the Macedonian institutions to take responsibility and to prove themselves as a reliable and capable partner in key moments.

The member countries of the NATO Alliance, according to the annual training plans, organize a number of important activities in different parts of Europe, with different exercising goals, with different participating countries, etc. The plan for the period April-September 2019 alone includes more than 30 activities aimed at maintaining and working on improving the readiness of the armies[2]. If we also take into account the remaining period of the year, October-March, we can conclude that the training process in the NATO[3] member states is intensive and is implemented continuously, with particular attention and through relevant procedures for planning, approval, realization and evaluation of the activities. The Macedonian soldiers participate in a number of NATO missions and they certainly do participate in a number of military exercises organized by the member states. Here are some of the many military exercises that include participation of the Macedonian soldiers:

• Combined Resolve XI[4] from 26 November to 14 December in Germany, where the members of the regiment for special operations participated together with 5,500 soldiers from 16 countries.

• Anakonda 16[5] from 7 to 17 June 2016 in Poland where ARM participated with 157 soldiers from the First Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the Military Police Battalion and the Special Operations Regiment. The purpose of the exercise was to strengthen the interoperability with the US and NATO military forces and to improve the ability to support international operations in multinational environments.

• “Ephesus 8[6] from 7 to 21 May in Turkey with participation of 7,500 soldiers from 38 countries, including from ARM;

According to information from the Ministry of Defense and ARM, the Macedonian soldiers participate on regular basis in military exercises with partner countries, in NATO programs as well as bilateral or multilateral exercises organized for the purpose of raising the operational readiness and capability of our units.

These activities have exceptional relevance for the political stability and positioning of the country in the region and beyond. The clear determination, supported by a huge majority of the citizens, for NATO membership and for cooperation with the Western world, is confirmed through the joint activities between our army and the armies of the EU and NATO member states. It is a fact that Decisive Strike 2019 will be the largest and the most important military exercise in the modern Macedonian defense. It is also a fact that special attention is paid on organization of this exercise, both military and politically. The privilege and the opportunity to organize such event, to host more than 2,200 soldiers, 2,000 of which from the most modern army in the world – United States, should be also used from many different aspects and the country to introduce itself as a reliable partner that is capable and has the capacity to respond to all challenges related to the membership. This clearly-expressed professional standpoint of the seniors in the Army, also supported by the political representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Government as a whole, clearly shows the solid determination of the country to be part of the modern Western world.

From political aspect, this is quite understandable. For three decades we have been striving towards West, doing all the activities necessary to meet the criteria and standards for EU and NATO membership. The most important thread here is that this is an inclusive process and our country, our soldiers and the citizens have the biggest benefit from it. Everything implemented in that regard aims to improve the conditions for life and work for the ARM members but also to provide political stability and safe environment for the society which can dedicate itself to economic development in such conditions. The rule of law, the democratic institutions, the free society – are all political requirements without which it is impossible to be member of NATO. The benefits from those policies will be mainly felt by the citizens. It is therefore of utmost importance to deliver the obligations we undertook on a highly professional level when it comes to the Decisive Strike 2019 military exercise. It is great honor and responsibility for us, as a country, to emphasize and show the readiness and decisiveness of the military and political leadership but also of the army members, who will be able to compare their readiness with the readiness of other armies that will participate at the exercise. In addition, the military and political importance of organizing these military exercises in a country that is not yet a full member is an additional challenge and clear signal from NATO that they consider us serious, established and ready partner who has the capacity for real and true partnership. If we compare this exercise (as well as some other previous exercises carried out in North Macedonia) with the exercises organized by the regional NATO member states, we can conclude that our army and country are not lagging behind in terms of capacity and equipment – on the contrary, we can definitely say that we one of the most relevant partners from this region.

The political stability is another imperative that is confirmed by vesting us with the trust to organize such large-scale military exercise. It is happening at the right time and it will definitely send out the clear and unambiguous message that the Republic of North Macedonia is fully ready for membership and as soon as the ratification process is finished, it will take its deserved place in the Alliance and will continue to be guarantee of stability, peace and security on the Balkans.

There have always been, and there will always be, opponents on this path, both in the country and outside. The environment we are in, including the current political and security events will only additionally strengthen the need for the country to more clearly position its further actions towards meeting the democratic values of the Western world. Exactly by doing this, all opponents of the European and Atlantic integrations of Macedonia will remain marginalized by the majority of citizens of our country who have clear and precise information about the political and military benefits from organizing the military exercises with our partners, as part of the NATO membership benefits. We can therefore say that the organization of the Decisive Strike 2019 military exercise can be expressed as benefit before the NATO membership. This will also confirm the interest of the citizens who have been waiting for over 25 years for the moment when our country will take its place in the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Prof.Nikola Dujovski Ph.D.

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[1] For more information regarding the preparations for the exercise see: http://www.arm.mil.mk/vezhbi/realizirana-finalna-planirachka-konferencija-za-vezhbata-odluchen-udar-decisive-strike/, accessed on 1 May 2019 as well as: http://www.arm.mil.mk/vezhbi/realizirana-nacionalna-rabotilnica-za-vezhbata-odluchen-udar/, accessed on 1 Maj 2019

[2] For more information on  the plan for exercising activities of the NATO members states see: file:///C:/Users/user-pc/Downloads/National_Exercises_as_of_4_APR_2019%20(1).pdf, accessed on 1 May 2019;

[3] We participate in, or have been participating in almost all NATO missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc.

[4] For more information about this exercise: http://www.arm.mil.mk/polk-za-specijalni-operacii/makedonskite-specijalci-del-od-combined-resolve-xi/, accessed on 1 May 2019

[5] For more information about this exercise: https://mk.usembassy.gov/mk/moi-press-conference-body-worn-cameras-donation-to-moi-traffic-police/, accessed on 1 May 2019;

[6] For more information about this exercise: http://www.arm.mil.mk/zdruzhena-operativna-komanda/pripadnicite-na-arm-go-zavrshija-uchestvoto-na-megjunarodnata-vezhba-efes-18/, accessed on 1 May 2019;