‘The General and the Ambassador’ – North Macedonia’s entrance to NATO

The latest episode of “The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation” was released earlier this week. In this episode, Ambassador (retired) Deborah McCarthy and guests Ambassador Jess Baily and Major Gene Enriquez discuss North Macedonia’s entrance into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Baily and Enriquez describe their work to finalize North Macedonia’s 30 year process to enter NATO and the key role of the National Guard and Department of Defense advisors, training, and programs.

Ambassador Jess Baily was the U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia from 2014 to 2019. Among his other assignments, he served as the Chargé of the U.S. Embassy in Turkey, Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, Director of the Office of UN Political Affairs and as the senior U.S. government civilian representative in Kurdistan, Iraq.

Major Gene Enriquez served as the Vermont National Guard’s Bilateral Affairs Officer in the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia from 2017 to 2020. Previously, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, he is the Executive Officer for the 1st Squadron of the 172nd Cavalry Regiment in St. Albans, Vermont.

McCarthy was the 2018 DACOR Visiting Professor of Diplomacy for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). The DACOR Visiting Professor of Diplomacy Program is conducted in partnership with the Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired, Inc. (DACOR) organization located in Washington D.C., and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Foundation. Several times a year retired senior officials, usually Ambassadors with extensive diplomatic experience, come to Fort Leavenworth to interact with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College students and faculty to provide a Department of State and Chief of Mission perspective to the curriculum. During their visit they also interact with area universities and civic organizations discussing policy, regional, and political expertise, as well as speaking about careers in the Foreign Service.

“The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation” podcast promotes interagency cooperation and is produced by the American Academy of Diplomacy.

To learn more and listen to the podcast, please follow the link below.
North Macedonia: The Long Slog to NATO & the Role of the Vermont National Guard


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