A government delegation led by Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski, accompanied by the Ministers of Environment and Spatial Planning, Izet Mexhiti and Justice, Igor Filkov, today laid a wreath of fresh flowers at the Partisan Cemetery memorial in Butel in Skopje, on the occasion of the celebration of Victory Day over Fascism and Europe Day.
Delegations from the Association of Veterans of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War, the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Cabinet of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, the Army, as well as delegations from the embassies of Austria, France and Germany, Italy, Montenegro, Spain, Ukraine and other organizations and associations laid wreaths with fresh flowers at the memorial.
As part of today’s commemoration, Minister Misajlovski addressed the attendants, emphasizing the sacrifice of the fighters for a free and independent Macedonia. “These are heroes who, following the ideals of our Ilinden heroes for a free Macedonia, for dignity and a future without tyranny, laid down their lives for this most noble goal. Their sacrifice is not only written in the history books — it is part of our identity. This place is nothing less than a sacred place for us because here we pay tribute to those who helped end the horrors of World War II”, said Misajlovski, adding that freedom, justice, truth and human rights are not a gift — they are both a choice and a struggle.
At today’s event, Deputy Prime Minister for Political System Ljupcho Dimovski also addressed the event, stating: ‘With great dignity, deep and sincere gratitude, we bow to the Macedonian fighters and partisans who laid down their lives to win the freedom that the Macedonian people and all other peoples from these regions have desired for centuries.
They are the foundation of our state and our dignity and existence as a people, aware of their greatness, because the Macedonians, with their honour, justice and freedom, in the bleakest period of their existence, stood on the right side together with the allies and all progressive nations, opposing the fascist occupier.
The 9th of May is the pinnacle of the Macedonian idea of our own state, the day when all hopes of being our own, free and independent, came true.
This victorious day represents the culmination of the suffering and sacrifices of the Ilinden epic and all the struggles that the Macedonian people have waged throughout their history.
This day represents the realization of our idea of an independent Macedonia. That is the idea that was the main motive for all Macedonian participants in the winds of war, the idea that endured through all the trials, challenges and battles.’
The Minister of European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani, in his address emphasized the following: “The 9th of May is not just another date on the calendar. It is a day when humanity decided not to reconcile with the darkness. A day when the sacrifice of millions of people lit the path to a new beginning. And we, as a state, were part of that struggle. Our people gave their lives, their stories, their heroes. That is why we stand here today, not in front of ordinary monuments, but in front of a testimony of history that shaped the essence of what we call freedom today.
Here, in this place of silence and dignity, we are reminded not only of the past, but also of the values that unite us today. The 9th of May is a day of deep symbolism: the victory over fascism, but also the birth of the idea of a united and peaceful Europe.
As Minister for European Affairs, I want to say: our European future is not a declaration, it is a decision. It is a choice for an alliance that unites us around peace, freedom and justice. Europe is not simply a geographical space, it is a moral space, created precisely as a result of the sacrifices such as the heroes to whom we lay these flowers today.”
