Commemoration of the National Day of the Republic of North Macedonia at CAOC Torrejón

• The Macedonian ambassador to Spain took part in the military ceremony.

In commemoration of the Independence of the Republic of North Macedonia, an event celebrated by the Macedonian people since 1991, a military ceremony took place at CAOC Torrejón (CAOCT) with the traditional act of raising the national flag of the country.

The Macedonian ambassador to Spain, Edmond Ademi, accompanied by the first secretary of the embassy, Perun Jorgakieski, were received at the Torrejón Combined Air Operations Centre by Lieutenant General Sánchez de Lara. They were then given a tour of the facilities.

During the ceremony, the authorities present addressed a few words to the personnel taking part in the military event.

In his speech, Lieutenant General Sánchez de Lara (COMCAOCT) stressed the importance of Macedonia's full integration into NATO, the 30th member of the Alliance to achieve this in March 2020. He emphasised the young nation's efforts to integrate with its allies. An integration that, according to the general, "ensures the high level of aerospace security in our area of responsibility, guaranteeing the defence of the airspace with different means of the country, of NATO itself and of countries such as Greece".

The Macedonian ambassador, for his part, highlighted the privilege of being able to celebrate for the first time in the CAOCT this National Day of Macedonia since its accession to NATO, defining it as "the strongest military and political alliance in the world". The Macedonian diplomat reiterated Macedonia's full commitment to the Alliance's missions and its concept of collective security, offering its personnel and facilities in the Balkan country, as well as the representation and integration of a North Macedonian Air Force officer in the CAOCT itself.

Combined Air Operations Centre Torrejón (NATO)

The main mission of the Torrejón CAOC, under the direct command of a Lieutenant General of the Spanish Air and Space Army, is to plan, direct, coordinate, supervise, analyse and report on air defence operations in Southern Europe, in accordance with the directives of the NATO Air Component Command to which it reports and with the resources assigned to NATO by the nations in peacetime.

The Spanish Armed Forces make an important contribution to the mission carried out by this centre. Some 120 Spanish military personnel serve in the CAOC itself as well as in the National Support Element (NSE) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency Unit (NCIA).