Today, 27 December, at the Strasho Pindjur Barracks in Petrovec, the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, together with the Minister of Defense, Vlado Misajlovski, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, conveyed New Year greetings via video conference to members of the Army deployed to peace support missions and operations abroad, wishing them good health, success, and prosperity in the upcoming year 2026.
“It seems that the world has never needed peace more, yet it also seems that our value, your value as peacekeepers, and that of the Macedonian Army, has never been more visible. You, our peacekeepers, have always been treated as equals.
Therefore, today it is a particular honor for me, in the presence of your spouses and children, to address you and to wish you successful service, and may there be less need for such deployments. You have made, and continue to make your contribution. We firmly believe in peace; however, peace does not depend solely on us, and we must always be prepared, both abroad and at home. This is, in fact, what we continuously do,” said President Siljanovska-Davkova in her address.
At this meeting, which “carries special weight and significance,” Minister Misajlovski expressed his gratitude to the peacekeepers for their “service in the name of peace, security, and the safety of each of us.” Addressing the peacekeepers’ family members, he encouraged them to remain strong, patient, and proud of their soldiers.
“We are aware that behind every peacekeeper stands a family that shares both the concerns and the pride. The Ministry of Defense and the Army remain firmly committed to supporting you, not only symbolically, but also in a substantive manner, whenever needed,” the Minister stated.
Minister Misajlovski also thanked the President and the Chief of the General Staff for the excellent and continuous cooperation, from which every member of the Army benefits.
In his address, the Chief of the General Staff expressed confidence that the peacekeepers perform their duties professionally and with dedication.
On this occasion, General Lafchiski thanked the President for her continuous support in the implementation and reaffirmation of past and ongoing activities. He also commended the care shown by the Minister of Defense for the families of peacekeepers, as well as all activities aimed at strengthening and advancing the Army as a successful institution. He emphasized that the Army represents one large, cohesive family and stressed that he is proud to be part of it.
“The Army is one large, united family, and I am proud to be a part of that family. We are always here for you and for your families, whenever the need arises,” the Chief of the General Staff underlined.
At the conclusion of his address, he extended New Year greetings for 2026, wishing good health and successful service, with the hope of continued and new successes and achievements in the year ahead.
Representatives of the Macedonian Army deployed to the NATO mission in Kosovo (KFOR), the EU Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as the NATO activity “Forward Land Forces – FLF” in Bulgaria, Romania, and Latvia, and the national representative in the mission in Germany, highlighted their high level of motivation and readiness to carry out all assigned tasks professionally, representing their country with dignity.
As part of today’s activity, the children of the peacekeepers received New Year gift packages from President Siljanovska-Davkova, Minister Misajlovski, and General Lafchiski.
Traditionally, the event concluded with distribution of New Year gift packages by the Army’s Santa Claus, who arrived aboard an Mi-8/17 Army helicopter from the Air Brigade, creating a festive atmosphere and bringing joy to the youngest attendees.
In addition to the peacekeepers’ families, today’s event was attended by commanders of the subordinate commands and units, as well as representatives of the General Staff of the Army and the Ministry of Defense.
