Saturday, 2 August 2014, Krushevo
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT VELJANOSKI ON THE OCCASION OF CELEBRATION OF THE NATIONAL DAY – 2 AUGUST - ILINDEN
Distinguished citizens,
Dear friends,
Brothers and sisters
I am expressing great appreciation and respect to all of you here at this historic location to jointly celebrate the Day of all days, the holiday of all stet holidays – eternal Ilinden.
We mark 111 years of fight.
111 years of self – sacrifices.
111 years of trust! Ilinden is the other name for Macedonia.
Macedonia is not whole without Ilinden.
The first one – of 1903! The Second Ilinden of 1944, but also the third Ilinden of 8th September 1991, when we established today’s democratic, sovereign and independent Republic of Macedonia! All efforts of this nation receive their value because of the very Ilinden! All sacrifice of the Macedonian heroes through the centuries, receive its meaning simply and only because of Ilinden! Our existence, work and creativity are secured because of this great day!
Ladies and gentlemen,
Ilinden is not only the day when the Macedonian nation decided to rise against the evil! Ilinden is not only the day when Macedonian sons and daughters decided to strongly hold on to the freedom! Ilinden is the Macedonian boundary stone! This day is a granite rock, which is here to surpass all centuries! Ilinden is the day which gives meaning to all our days! Ilinden is the symbol of democracy we live today! Ilinden is coexistence and understanding between all citizens of our Motherland! Ilinden is also all our efforts and determination for development of Macedonia! Finally, Ilinden was, is and shall be the basis that motivates Macedonia in the centuries to come.
Dear friends,
111 years of Ilinden mean exactly as many years since the establishment of the progressive ideas which sound so fresh and modern today as well. Krushevo Manifest is one of the most democratic documents created in those crape times which clearly speaks of the need for building coexistence and understanding among different ethnicities and religions. This historic act of the Macedonian people is here to remind us that the democratic ideas and the progressive visions are in the core of the Macedonians. This noble fact which speaks a lot about for us is followed by the ASNOM Declaration for the human and civil rights adopted 30 years later, as a result of the second Macedonian Ilinden. This document also raises Macedonia in the democratic heights since even back then the political representatives of the Macedonian People speak of all known and accepted individual rights and freedoms of today. Hence, we can freely and joyfully conclude that the Krushevo Manifest is the basis of all today’s progressive ideas of interethnic and interreligious coexistence and tolerance, while the ASNOM Declaration is the foundation of the democratic ambiance which the citizens of this Macedonian state live in. That is why, without false modesty, we should be proud our historic deed. Since it does not speak of hatred or of conflict.
Dear friends,
The Macedonian people, similar to all nations of this world want to live and develop in freedom. The wished to create and work in one’s state, united the Macedonian sons and daughters under the flag of freedom. Tyranny had to fall! Freedom had to be born! Price had to be paid! There was no other choice. There was no other alternative. Either we will make something out of us or not.The historic obligation in creating the Macedonian state had to be taken. It was! With greatest dignity it was taken by the people of Macedonia! That is why, from this stand, let us say “Eternal Glory” to all known and unknown fighters who gave their lives for freedom in all rebellions, uprisings and wars in Macedonia throughout the history! Krushevo is the epicenter of such national charge which was promptly spread throughout Macedonia during the first Ilinden. From East and from West, from North and from South the steps of the Macedonian Comitas boomed. The squads, organized and led by VMRO were fearlessly headed to conquer their freedom. Another Chapter of the Macedonian history was opened. This time the famous and heroic chapter was written, a chapter which inspired other national successes that followed. For the battles in the Macedonian forests which we proudly speak of today!The self sacrifice of the Vojvodas and Comitas is mentioned today! We celebrate their successes today! We are rightfully proud! We are proud because we were given the example and we were shown the path to freedom. Numerous events remain carved in our collective consciousness! Numerous battles and numerous heroes write the history of Macedonia! Let us continue mentioning them. Let us not stop conveying these famous events from our history to our sons and daughters! We must exactly know why and because of whom we rose from the ashes and flew to the peaks. Lessons learned from the Macedonian fight for freedom are the best demonstration that Macedonia is our greatest value. Macedonia is the beginning and the end of everything we did and everything we will do in the future! There is nothing more valuable and more precious than our Motherland – Macedonia! Historic battles remind us that unity and fellowship may not be disrupted. The cooperation and understanding are the basis of all our successes in the past. The unity meant and means freedom! Disunity then, but also now means defeat!
Brothers and sisters,
Just like Ilinden is the symbol of all victims of VMRO and the Comitas, this day is the brightest point for the Macedonian partisan movement. If during the first Ilinden we showed the world that there exist Macedonians who want to live in their Macedonian state as other nations do, during the second Ilinden that goal was significantly accomplished. Macedonian people started conquering its freedom! The centuries of captivity, terror and injustice under different shackles were finally over!The blood of the partisans was not shed in vain. The enemy was defeated and the freedom was conquered!Macedonia stood on the right side in the world history! Macedonia stood on the side of the democracy and freedom, against the totalitarian ideologies of Nazism and Fascism. The merit for the national success equally belonged to both, the Macedonia left block and the Macedonia right block. The sacrifice and merit is equally for all fighters for Macedonia! With this approach to history alone, we should build the future!
Ladies and gentlemen,
The ideas of the Krushevo Manifest, the Partisan Movement and ASNOM are equally strong as the day they were published. Our political differences must not jeopardize Macedonia. We must not speak of “our” and “your” when speaking for Macedonia! Macedonia is our only party and single program platform! Let us all stand under the flag of freedom! Let’s give each other a hand and forgive each other for we are all Macedonia! To stand together behind the future of Macedonia and to work jointly as the Comitas and Partisans fought! As the members of the right and the left block fought! Let us prevent different interest to jeopardize the interests of Macedonia. We have to be even more united! We have to be more responsible when speaking of the interests of the state. Let us preserve Macedonia. Let us build and love Macedonia! If we sincerely and openheartedly do so, then we will be one step closer to the necessary state unity! I know that we have the strength to act as such! Macedonian politicians, parties and society demonstrated that they can reach out to each other when it was most needed. Today is that time! Today is the moment! Today we start strengthening the foundations of this concept I speak of and which I sincerely believe in.
Brothers and sisters,
The symbolism of this year’s celebration of Ilinden is special because of something else as well… ...We mark this day in the period when our fellow Muslim citizens celebrated their religious holiday. This symbolism should remind us that trough history, the Macedonian people succeeded thanks to the cooperation with the Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Romas, Bosnians and others. The greatest peaks of Macedonian freedom were conquered when, together, Christians, Muslims and Jews stood side by side. It has been. It should be. That is why, on this occasion, I call on more work for promotion of the interethnic and interreligious life. We have to develop standards in this area! We have to promote culture of dialogue! We together are Macedonia, and only as such we can jointly determine the true value of our motherland in which we grow, work and develop together.
Dear friends,
Ilinden is a symbol of the wish of Macedonian nation for further development of the relations with the neighboring states and people as well. The centuries old ideal to be on one’s own never meant jeopardizing the freedom of the other. On the contrary! It was same as theirs and gained strength from them! This continues to be our characteristic today. Macedonia remains dedicated to the development of the relations with all neighboring states. We have to and we should cooperate! We can and we will cooperate more and better. We must and should build new bridges of friendship that will bring us even closer! We must and should underline the positive examples from the past which will bring us closer in the future. And the future is extremely certain, clear and known. Our joint future is united Europe in which values of democracy will be equally accepted by all of us who have been here at the Balkans for centuries. I strongly believe that the future of the Balkan is united Europe! The Balkan which always belonged to Europe will have to fully become part of the European Union. The Membership in the European Union will be the greatest confirmation that the projects of the political leaderships of the Balkan states were right in their basis. The membership in the European Union will be the greatest proof that we finally annulled the ideas from the past which projected the existence of a nation on the account and damaging the other nation. Considering the abovementioned, I would clearly underline that the integration of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union is our highest strategic priority. It is the priority above all priorities! Task above all tasks! Integration in the European Union is aim above aims! Obligation greater than other obligations! Project which is the basis of other state projects! On this great day for our state, I feel strong need to once again underline our maximum dedication in direction of the realization of this civilization aim. Macedonia has no choice other than the European Union! The integration in the European family of people is the greatest recipe for further modernization of the Macedonian state. All political parties equally invest efforts and knowledge for the realization of this noble goal. Hence, this project perhaps is the greatest example, how we can be one and united when we want.
Brothers and sisters,
Efforts for the membership of the Republic of Macedonia in NATO remain our top strategic priority. The Macedonian army, side by side with the armies of the democratic states invests in securing peace and security in the world. Today, Macedonian soldiers proudly defend the honor of the Ilinden soldiers and partisans. Being part of the NATO troupes, we give our contribution, which will be complete and justified when the Macedonian flag will rise in front of the NATO Headquarters, together with the flags of the other members of the Alliance. This unfortunately is not the case yet. Even though it fulfilled everything that was requested Macedonia is not part of NATO. Paradoxical, yet true, it turned out that our centuries old name is our greatest problem. Somebody, today, desires that we should not call ourselves with the name we used for centuries and not to be what we have always been. That is why, from here, from Mechkin Kamen, I loudly say that Macedonia was, is and will be Macedonia. Macedonian people were, are and will be Macedonian. We remain strong in our intention to affirm the truth for Macedonia. However, with the same force I would loudly and clearly state that we remain determined to further development of the dialogue with our Southern neighbor. We continue the discussions since we believe that perhaps the opinion of the Greek politicians will change that we are not a threat for their state. Macedonia is not, and will never be a threat for the Republic of Greece. Macedonians are not nor will they ever be a threat for the Greek people. We express clear preparedness for further development of the good neighborly relations and overall cooperation in the economy and other areas. We have to cooperate! We must focus more on things that join us, rather than on the ones that separate us. I believe that we will cooperate! But, it has to be on equal ground. In the spirit of Christian love, Macedonian and Greek people have to reach to each other and look to the future. In the spirit of Christian love, the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece, have to work on resurrecting the cooperation, respect and friendship! In the spirit of the Christian love, in a period when the world is faced with new geo political challenges, the Republic of Macedonia and Greece, have to turn a new page of history, where faith, hope and love will be the uniting points for the two people; uniting firstly amongst each other, and then with the same God whom we belong and pray to.
Dear friends,
The self sacrifice of the Ilinden fighters is our guideline in facing the challenges of today. The price paid for the victory was grand. We must preserve the statehood. We have to further improve the overall developments in the Republic of Macedonia. But, as I mentioned, everything is more difficult without unity. Every goal is more distant if we are not united. We can’t reach any peak if we are arguing or if we are divided. That is why, as President of the Macedonian Legislative House, I would once again sincerely call upon promotion of the unity among the political parties. We have to surpass our differences. We must not allow the fire of the political battle to hurt Macedonia!We have to give each other a hand on this great day! Let us start cooperating more and openly for issues of joint interest. Let us look into the eyes of reality and insure more development and democratic future for Macedonia. For everyone bears responsibility for the future of Macedonia! Both, the governance and the opposition!
Dear friends,
The assumption of every development is freedom. If the great aim of the Ilinden was independent Macedonia, today, the great aim of this generation of politicians is an economically developed Macedonia. The overall state development continues to be our greatest challenge. The improvement of the economy and the living standard has to be fully secured. The successes of modernization of the Macedonian citizens’ lives have to be additional impetus for new deeds. We have to build even more new schools. We have to invest even more in healthcare. We have to continue the support for the Macedonian farmers. We have to continue the care for the Macedonian pensioners. We have to do this as politicians, since these are the greatest expectations of our citizens. The successes achieved so far are the greatest confirmation that even the greatest obstacles can be surpassed.
Distinguished friends,
Dear brothers and sisters,
Macedonia is only as strong as our values. Macedonia is as strong as our collective moral vertical is just. We have to continue the support the Macedonian families. They are the basis of the state. Every sacrifice for freedom is in vain if we are morally failing. We cannot allow the family, as a community of one man and one woman, in which children can freely develop to be relative. We have to invest in the development of our children through education through which they will grow into morally sound persons, continuing to build and develop Macedonia. We have to continue the promotion of projects returning the children’s laughter in the Macedonian villages and cities. Continue the promotion of policies that will increase the birthrate of the state, since Macedonia is made of the people living and working here. We are Macedonia.
Let us stand next to each other.
Let us remember the sacrifice of the Ilinden fighters, Partisans and other known and unknown heroes.
Let us remember the past, so that we can be more successful in building the future.
We are building Macedonia today.
Tomorrow, our children will build Macedonia.
Let us leave good deeds to the generations that follow us. Let us be mentioned of good. Let us achieve all Macedonian priorities.
Let us solve as many more problems as possible.
Let us surpass as many obstacles as possible.
Macedonia to be more stabile.
Macedonia to be more developed.
Macedonia to be even more united.
This is the pledge of the Ilindens. This is the pledge of the Partisans! This is the pledge of the Macedonian heroes.
May the memory of Ilinden be eternal.
May Macedonia be eternal and everlasting.
May God bless us all and bless our Motherland.
Long live the Republic of Macedonia!
Thank you.