Sunday, 7 September 2014
VELJANOSKI: 8TH OF SEPTEMBER, THE DAY WHEN WE SHOULD GIVE EACH OTHER A HAND, HAD TO OUR NEIGHBOURS AND TO OUR ALLIES
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Brothers and sisters,
May the Day of the Macedonian independence be eternal and everlasting!
Grand salute and appreciation to all of you who are part of this Ceremonial Academy on the occasion of the 23 years of Macedonian statehood and independence.
Grand salute and appreciation to all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia who are sincerely joyful and celebrate this great day of our newest history.
Certainly, this is the day when we should wholeheartedly thank all persons without whose engagement, courage and perseverance Macedonia would not be as it is today.
Last, but not least, I like to thank our international friends who in the times when we established the pillars of our independence, stood on the side of Macedonia, assisting us in facilitating the walk throughout the process of the family of independent nations and states. Great applause for all known and unknown Macedonian sons and daughters, who, through the history contributed in the creation of the independent Macedonian state until today.
Dear Friends,
Each time has its own challenges!
Each period imposes targets we should reach.
Our obligation is to recognize them, to find solutions and to achieve them!
We have not been spared from such historic turn points !
Sometimes we reacted on time and with dignity! Sometimes- we did not!
Sometimes we have achieved the national goals, but sometimes, not!
Sometimes we have defeated the enemies and conquer the freedom, but sometimes, aside from all efforts we remained in the darkness of slavery! But the most important is that every time in history, we never lacked courage, patriotism and love for the motherland!
We have always fought bravely for freedom!
We have always been on the side of the justice and of the true values!
We have always been on the true side of history!
We have never succumbed before the injustice!
We have never been in peace with the life in slavery and others noose!
We have never stopped believing and fighting for our better tomorrow under the sun of freedom!
This persistence, sacrifice, national responsibility and faith brought Macedonia where it is today.
Our Motherland walks the path of independence for 23 years.
Our citizens live freedom and successfully bare each responsibility that comes with it for 23 years. We are responsible for our destiny! We tailor our political moves!
We take care of Macedonia!
The times when someone else decided for us and on our behalf are only a dark memory.
The historic darkness when our future was modelled without us is part of the past!
Finally, the periods when others’ army, police, politicians, administration oppress our people are behind us!
8th of September is the day which turned history!
8th of September is the day when the citizens decided to take the stamp of the destiny in their own hands! 8th September is the day when, like rarely before, we demonstrated plebiscite, unity, voting for independent, sovereign and independent Macedonia.
When we shouted:
May the independence of our motherland Macedonia be eternal!
May the Macedonian Nation and the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia be eternal!
May the 8th September be marked and celebrated; the day when in freedom, we took responsibility for ourselves and for our state.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The independence of the Republic of Macedonia is a natural follow-up after the grand turbulences faced by the world after the dissolution of the communism and the socialism in Eastern Europe. The complex socialist states dissolved under the flow of the ideas for democracy, freedom, while the small nations, such as the Macedonians were to recognize the historic turnover and fight for final freedom. Macedonia recognized this historic moment!
Macedonian political and social officials took the responsibility to organize and execute the process of the Macedonian independence.
The citizens of Macedonia, like rarely in past, united and unified went to the voting positions to confirm forever the Macedonian wish for their own state. The aim was achieved!
We welcomed the final hours of that 8th September at the squares !
We stood together under the flag of freedom to celebrate this historic step of ours!
Macedonian recognized the historic moment!
Macedonia, as always, stood on the side of the European values whose beginning and end are democracy, human rights and freedoms, market economy!
Dear friends,
Most sincerely, on this day, from this stand, for to be remembered, I feel great urge to salute all heroic deed and love for Macedonia to all Macedonian soldiers who welcomed the creation of the independent Macedonia in others’ uniforms and flags, far from Macedonia. I like to congratulate the courage for the decision to leave the fronts, putting them in the service of their motherland Macedonia
Great respect to the families of all killed and wounded Macedonian soldier from those post Yugoslavia times who embedded in the independence of the Macedonian state though their deeds. Great gratitude to all other Macedonian sons and daughters in these past 23 years who guarded the Macedonian borders and Macedonian state either within or from outside as part of Missions of our NATO allies. 8th of September of the day when we should thank these sons and daughters of ours.
8th of September is the day when we should celebrate their deeds.
8th September is the day when we should mention their sacrifice and sincerely and wholeheartedly thank them.
8th September is the day when we should bow before their monuments!
Macedonia does not forget those who fought for her!
Macedonia remembers those who sincerely love her!
Macedonia celebrates and recognizes all heroes who built and preserved her!
Dear friends,
8th of September is the greatest symbol of sincere dialogue, cooperation and understanding between different political parties! The independence of Macedonia is our joint deed!
8th of September is the merit of all political parties!
There are no more deserving or less deserving political parties!
The independence of Macedonia is a process which did not exclude any significant politician or party!
That is why 8th of September should be the day when we should celebrate and motivate our unity and cooperation!
8th of September is not a holiday of the supporter of one or other political party!
8th September is holiday of all parties! 8th of September is the greatest political success, of both, VMRO – DPMNE and SDSM!
We have to constantly emphasise the value of this great day.
As it was the case 23 years ago, when Macedonian politicians of all political parties stood next to each other at the square in Skopje to share and celebrate the independence, today, we are obliged to that deed and to those people to be united and unified. Macedonia has no other alternative but the joint deed for better tomorrow of all parties! Let us mention the modesty of the first President of the Republic of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov who came from the Macedonian left.
Let us celebrate the achievements in the establishment of e the independence of the Academik Nikola Kljusev as firs Prime Minister who came from the Macedonian right. Let us remember the work of the first President of the Assembly, Mr. Andov, the Members of the first Macedonian Parliament, as well as the Minister of the first Government, who were from different ideological and ethic belonging.. Together they adopted the key decisions and documents and took all steps for our motherland to be organized as sovereign and independent state. We have to preserve the won statehood.
We have to promote further the overall conditions in Macedonia.
But, it is harder without unity.
Every goal is more distant if we are not united.
We have to surpass our differences!
Develop dialogue!
Shape competitive political offer! Compete with ideas!
Do everything within our power more parties to be seen as competitive, not as enemies. To extend our hands, regardless of the party belonging. Macedonia remains our greatest political party!
We are backed up by the deeds of the establishers of the Macedonian state from the 90’s, and facing the greatest mutual interests. We have to walk together towards the achievement of these great aims guided by the wisdom of the persons who beside their different political background created independent Republic of Macedonia. We have to be aware that today we are writing history, similar to other persons who wrote the bright Macedonian history 23 years ago.
To remember that with our engagement, we leave deeds, which should be recognized as positive in the times that come
If we remember this, I am convinced that we will jointly surpass even more problems and obstacles.
Ladies and gentlemen,
8th of September as day of our independence equally refers to all of us, regardless of the language we speak of the God we pray to.
All, Macedonians, Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Romas and Bosnians and all other celebrating the Day of independence since we have won the freedom together.
This characteristic is our greatest value.
The interethnic tolerance and understanding is our greatest benefit but also a challenge.
The promotion of the interethnic relations is one of our greatest successes, but also one of our greatest tasks.
We have done a lot, but, certainly, we have to do more in this area.
We have to strengthen further the trust and the understanding among the ethnic communities.
We have to strengthen further the inter religious tolerance.
We have to clearly and unequivocally condemn all ideas that promote intolerance.
8th of September does not speak of dominance and exclusiveness. Celebrating this great state holiday, let us conquer the joint challenges stronger.
Together, next to each other, from all nations and religions, with fierceness to fight for the European Union. Together, next to eachother, from all nations and religions, with fierceness to fight for Membership in NATO.
Finally, together, next to each other, from all nations and religions, with fierceness to fight for better life for all of us. This is our agenda!
This is our goal!
These are our priorities! These are our bridges that unite us but also the whole world!
Dear friends,
Membership of Macedonia in NATO is our greatest priority.
In this historic period, this is the aim greater than all aims.
Task above all tasks.
With strong faith and dedication, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our western allies. Unwaveringly contributing in the affirmation of the values we believe in.
With faith and dedication, we patiently wait the day when the Macedonian flag will be unfolded in front of the NATO Headquarters. We are aware of the constellations which are the reasons for our stall, thus we continue the efforts for surpassing the last obstacle for our full integration in the alliance. We continue the discussions with the Republic of Greece for surpassing the imposed problem with our constitutional name. We believe that our Greek neighbours will understand that the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian nation have never been nor will be threat for the Republic of Greece. We tend to affirm the positive values of our mutual relations.
Develop economic, cultural, education and any other kind of cooperation.
In light with the new geopolitical challenges, Macedonian and Greek people have the historic obligation to demonstrate statehood maturity so that we can jointly face and surpass them. We have to seek for affairs that unite us, rather than ones that divide us.
In the spirit of our Orthodox tradition, the Macedonian and the Greek nation, have the holy aim to extend each other a hand a to look to the future. HE Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece should be more united under the flag of faith, hope and love, as leading moral verticals of our common Christian heritage that will open wide the path of cooperation, respect and understanding, embedded in equal basis. Ladies and gentlemen, The Membership in the European Union is the next great priority of our state.
Our new 8th September, the new Macedonian Ilinden, will be when the Republic of Macedonia integrates in the European Union. We achieved great progress on the path to our full fledged integration.
We remain dedicated to the work in the achievement the great goal of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. In the past years we made giant steps forward.
Different government led by different political parties, patiently and with dedication wrote the Macedonian European file.
Today we do the same as well.
We continue with the reforms in Macedonia pursuant to the European standards. We continue to build Macedonia pursuant to the guidelines of our European friends.
We continue to change the Macedonian society and affairs, pursuant to the European recipes. The European Union is the best project for Macedonia!
The integration in the European Union is the best recipe for the modernization of the Macedonian society.
Dear friends,
Development remains our greatest challenge. The success so far in the modernization of the Macedonian citizens should be an additional motivation for new deeds. We have to build even more new schools.
We have to invest even more in healthcare.
We have to continue with the support of the Macedonian farmer.
We have to continue the care for the Macedonian pensioners.
We have to do this as politicians since these are the greatest expectations from our citizens.
The success so far is the confirmation that the greatest obstacles can be surpassed.
Dear friends,
On the 8th of September the sun of the Macedonian freedom shined for the 23rd time. In the past decades we proved that we have strength to preserve and reward this benefit.
We demonstrated that we know how to build Macedonia
We showed that we know how to keep the heritage and the values of the founders of Macedonian state.
We demonstrated that we have strength to reinforce the foundations of Macedonia.
We are obliged to give this state to the future generations as more developed, more secure and more stabile.
Macedonia must succeed!
I know it will!
Macedonian people should how freedom is won.
The people will show how it is preserved and promoted.
We will be faced with numerous challenges on this path!
There will be numerous temptations and difficult moments!
But, God gives us the burden we can carry!
God gave Macedonia the challenges it can face with and rise from even more developed.
Let us remember all bright moments of our history!
Let us celebrate the holidays and remember the persons who embedded in the Macedonian independence!
Let us stand next to each other.
To give each other a hand, to our neighbours and western friends.
To go forward together to new challenges. To build Macedonia! To develop Macedonia!
God bless this state and its citizens!
May the memory of 8th of September be eternal!
May Macedonia be eternal!
Long live Macedonia!
Thank you.