UK Establishes Permanent Military Training Team in Western Balkans

UK Ambassador Rachel Galloway and Defence Minister for North Macedonia Radmila Shekerinska signed an agreement to establish a Western Balkans Land Regional Coordination Cell, which coordinates UK training and sets up a permanent military team in North Macedonia.

The cell will involve a small military team coordinating and channelling UK training into the region. This will focus UK capacity-building efforts and enhance cooperation between UK and partner forces in the region. It will also improve the coordination of partnered military training and enable the UK to better understand and support the training requirements of its defence partners.

North Macedonia is NATO’s newest ally, which joined in March 2020, and the cell will support them and other regional NATO partners in meeting capability targets associated with NATO membership. One function of the cell will be to coordinate UK support to North Macedonia in the delivery of a light Infantry Battalion at readiness for NATO operations next year.