On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Army, the central ceremony marking the military holiday “18 August – Army Day” was held today at the Water Training Camp in Ohrid.
The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the Minister of Defence Vlado Misajlovski and the Chief of the General Staff of the Army Major General Sashko Lafchiski held speeches at the ceremony.
In her address, President Siljanovska-Davkova stated that the Macedonian Army is a “highly organized military formation with professional integrity, operational credibility, high interoperability with allied forces, military discipline and steadfastness, resulting in the highest level of trust among the citizens and the well-deserved respect of our allies.”
On this occasion, President Siljanovska-Davkova expressed her appreciation to the members of the Army for their professionalism, dedication and readiness, emphasizing that people are the foundation of every modern and credible army. She stressed that “a modern army is built with well-trained and prepared personnel, with knowledge, organization and the ability to transform new capabilities and equipment into genuine operational power.” She further noted that the outstanding evaluations received by the Light Infantry Battalion Group, as well as the contribution of Macedonian personnel to international missions and operations, confirm that the Army is successfully translating the Alliance standards into its own military practice and responsibly fulfilling its obligations in NATO.
In his address, Minister Misajlovski paid tribute to all generations of members of the Macedonian Army and defence personnel who have contributed to building the institution and the defence system over the years. “Each and every one of them, through their professionalism and dedication, contributes to the mosaic that enables us to clearly and confidently say – Macedonia is a safe and stable country”, the Minister said, adding that in a time marked by global uncertainty, the Army and the defence system are the pillar that keeps our country standing stable and secure.
On the occasion of today’s holiday, Misajlovski emphasized that, with the support of the Government, all activities aimed at developing the Army will continue with strong momentum. These activities include its modernization, infrastructure development, increased training and exercises. He stressed: “We are strengthening our security, the security of the region and NATO’s eastern flank, while at the same time demonstrating that we are a credible and reliable ally within the Alliance.”
In his address, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army stated: “18 August is, above all, a day of remembrance and profound respect. It is a day when we pay tribute to all those who, throughout different historical periods, carried within them the idea of a free Macedonia and who, through their courage, perseverance and sacrifice, paved the way towards freedom and statehood.”
General Lafchiski emphasized that the period between the two celebrations of Army Day had been exceptionally successful, noting that the Army had once again demonstrated its operational maturity and capability in meeting the highest national and NATO standards. “This progress has also been recognized by our allies. The numerous high-ranking political and military representatives who visited our country and the Army conveyed a clear message regarding the professionalism of our personnel, the progress made in developing capabilities and our active contribution to strengthening the collective security,” General Lafchiski said.
As part of the central ceremony, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the development of defence capabilities and the fulfilment of the tasks and obligations, the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova awarded the Order of Military Merit to the Operations Command and the Canine Training Centre.
In accordance with the programme of today’s ceremony and based on the results and grades achieved during their studies at the Military Academy “General Mihailo Apostolski” in Skopje in the period from 2022 to 2026, awards were presented to the three highest-ranked Second Lieutenants.
The central ceremony was also attended by the President of the Assembly Afrim Gashi, the Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Ministers in the Government, Members of the Parliament, the Commander of the Vermont Army National Guard Eric Gagnon, members of the military-diplomatic corps, former Ministers of Defence and former Chiefs of the General Staff, generals of the Army, representatives of local government, representatives of organizations cooperating with the Army and other guests.
The Army Day – 18 August was designated by a Government decision of 3 June 1993, which established the date of the formation of the “Mirche Acev” Battalion in 1943 on the mountain Slavej as the official holiday of the Army.
