Visit to the USA

Washington D.C., 3-7 June 2013

 

Upon the invitation of the Director of the International Security Programs at the Office of the US Undersecretary of Defense, Mr. Peter R. Batten, the Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia for negotiating agreements for exchange and mutual protection of classified information on bilateral basis with other countries paid a return visit to Washington D.C. in the period from 3 to 7 June 2013. During the visit, the members of the Macedonian governmental delegation were introduced to the handling of classified information and the procedures for its protection since the passing of the security policy on protection of classified information till the immediate implementation of the procedures by the end users.

The Macedonian delegation had successful discussions on the establishing of security criteria and measures for protection of classified information from the aspect of the document security, physical security, industrial security, information security and personnel security, as well as on the possibilities for further enhancing of the bilateral cooperation between the two states in the field of classified information. At the end of the visit, the Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia presented its conclusions about the held meetings in front of the host and gave its view on the conditions for protection of classified information that the Republic of Macedonia should release to the USA after concluding the bilateral security agreement.

At the margins of the visit to Washington D.C., the Macedonian delegation had a meeting and fruitful discussion with the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the USA, H.E. Mr. Zoran Joleski and his associates at the Embassy, who were introduced to the conclusions from the visit and the procedure for entering into a bilateral general security agreement with the USA in the field of the exchange and mutual protection of classified information.

The return visit to the USA represents a phase before the last one within the procedure for bilateral negotiations between the governments of the Republic of Macedonia and of the USA for entering into a general security agreement for exchange of classified information after which the harmonization of the text is expected to follow soon.