March 18 (SeeNews) - The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of 54 Stryker light armoured vehicles and related equipment by U.S. General Dynamics Land Systems to North Macedonia for $210 million (176.3 million euro), the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," DSCA said in a statement earlier this week.
North Macedonia officially became a member of NATO in March 2020.
The delivery of the initial 20 vehicles that will be procured is expected to start in 2022, North Macedonia's defense ministry said in a separate statement on Wednesday.
The purchase is part of a 2019-2024 project implemented in cooperation with the U.S. government for the procurement of light armoured vehicles to equip end modernise North Macedonia's army, the ministry said, noting that the U.S. government is covering some 20-25% of the total project costs.
North Macedonia's government earlier agreed the purchase of about 40 vehicles from U.S. Oshkosh Defense as part of the project.
($ = 0.8394 euro)