Organized crime, illegal migration, cybercrime and cyber-attacks, fake news and the Covid-19 pandemic are complex challenges that require a modern regional approach and a common strategy for action. That, among other things, was emphasized by the Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski in his address in front of the participants in the exercise "Northern Macedonia 2021" which, organized by NATO, the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) and the Crisis Management Center (CMC) will be held today and in the next four days in the area of ​​Ohrid and Struga.

According to Spasovski, the civilian readiness and maintenance of the continuity of the functioning of the institutions in dealing with crises and complex security situations is of critical importance and basic obligation of the NATO members - the Alliance in building resistance to all threats and challenges.

He pointed to the common Euro-Atlantic values ​​- the strengthening of unity and solidarity as a foundation and essential driver of mutual rapprochement of the countries in the region.

- Hence, we are all expected to focus dedicatedly on common values ​​and goals, aimed at conflict prevention, maintaining peace and stability, the rule of law and respect for international law. This means the protection of human rights and freedoms and the peaceful settlement of all disputes and misunderstandings, because only in this way can we provide a guarantee for the prosperity, sustainability and stability of states. The Republic of Northern Macedonia has shown in practice that a commitment to common values ​​is not only possible and desirable, but is the only acceptable solution to contemporary challenges. he said.

According to the scenario of the exercise, activities will be implemented that address several areas such as natural disasters, organized crime, illegal migration, rescue and assistance to citizens, which is an excellent basis for developing capacities and capabilities for building regional approach and strategies to adequately counter , suppression of criminal acts and taking concrete measures of action.

Spasovski expressed confidence that the digitalization of the Crisis Management System in the Republic of Northern Macedonia by applying the web-based tool NICS (Next Generation incident Command System) will contribute to improving communication and coordination between entities within the system.

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations John Manza stressed that Northern Macedonia's membership in NATO carries with it responsibilities, but also provides opportunities, through such training, to train resilience and the ability to deal with challenges whether caused by natural disasters or from the human factor.

- This 19th exercise is a proof of our resilience. It will treat realistic scenarios as a good opportunity to demonstrate interoperability in solving common problems. Through the joint command system we will coordinate the activities, we will strengthen the skills, but we will also build friendships that give these activities an even deeper dimension, said Manza, among other things.

The director of the Crisis Management Center, Stojance Angelov, for his part stressed that the benefit is that NATO membership provides an opportunity to enrich knowledge and deepen experiences, which, as he pointed out, "to learn and train under the NATO flag means to to be part of an integrated and highly-trained system whose support can be counted on at any time and in any situation ”.

- Involvement in this NATO exercise is a privilege for all participants, as it is an excellent opportunity to receive support from national authorities in order to strengthen our capabilities by improving preparedness for man-made natural disasters. This includes improving planning, prevention and response, ie strengthening the national emergency response, said Angelov.

The scenario of the exercise develops activities for dealing with the consequences of the catastrophic earthquake that would affect the Ohrid-Struga region and the way of using the available resources for response, as well as assistance from NATO partners in conditions when all existing capacities for dealing with the crisis are exhausted.

The exercise will be attended by almost 700 representatives from 28 NATO member states and partners and several international organizations. The exercise will enable crisis response teams, but also planners and assessors to develop and practice search and rescue activities in urban areas, but also on water and in the mountains, then exercises of emergency medical teams, but also activities of teams for detection and identification of chemical, biological and radiological agents, as well as activities related to disinformation.

As part of the exercise, a two-day scientific VIP symposium will be organized with the participation of senior representatives of NATO, Alliance member states, partner countries, international organizations and the intelligence sector.

Source: MIA