With support from the US European Command (EUCOM), the municipalities of Štip, Radoviš, Konče and Negotino received new firefighting equipment - rescue vehicles, protective gear and specialised machinery for responding to emergencies.

The US Embassy recalled the fires that devastated these municipalities two years ago - disasters that showed how critical preparedness is. Today that lesson is turning into action, the embassy said. Practical translation: municipalities that lacked rapid-response capacity now have it.

This is no small thing. Eastern Macedonia is among the regions that spend summer under constant fire threat. New equipment means faster response, less destroyed farmland, fewer homes at risk. An American donation, a local benefit - diplomacy that works in the field, not just in press releases.