On the occasion of August 18 – the Army Day, members of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff, as well as commands and units in barracks across the Republic, marked the military holiday of the Army with ceremonial gatherings and ceremonial formations.
Addressing the members of the Army, the Army Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, emphasized: “For us, members of the Army, August 18 is the Day above days that unites all the other days of the commands and units that we celebrate in the Army, it is the holiday that is celebrated by all current and former members who in the past 33 years contributed to the building of the modern Macedonian Army.”
General Lafchiski also emphasized that the Army is an institution that enjoys the greatest trust among citizens, and that is precisely why it has the most sacred mission in the state: defense and protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the homeland.
Minister Vlado Misajlovski stated in his address: “On the eve of the celebration of Army Day- August 18, I am glad that we are continuing the tradition of celebrating the birthday of the Army together. I want to express my respect and gratitude to all of you women and men in the Ministry of Defense and the Army who work dedicatedly for Macedonia, its safety and security. The sacrifice of the members of the Army in dealing with the daily challenges to protect Macedonian citizens is clearly recognized. They have strong trust in you and pay you respect and recognition – for your courage and dedication.”
At today’s ceremony at the General Staff, commands and units were presented with plaques, badges, letters of appreciation and other incentive measures for members of the Army and organizations that have contributed to the development of the Ministry of Defense and the Army.
As part of the ceremony, a delegation led by the Minister of Defense, the Chief of General Staff, and representatives of the families of the fallen defenders laid fresh flowers at the monument to the 2001 defenders in front of the Ministry of Defense.
Also, during the day, a delegation from the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Army, led by the Army Chief of the General Staff, the Cabinet of the President of the Republic North Macedonia, and other delegations laid wreaths with fresh flowers at the memorials of the Partisan cemeteries, at the grave of the deceased President Boris Trajkovski, former President Kiro Gligorov, as well as at the grave of General Mihailo Apostolski.
The central ceremony on the occasion of Army Day will be held on August 18th at the “Jane Sandanski” barracks – Shtip, which will be attended by the highest military and state authorities in the Republic. Within the framework of the celebration, echelons representing all commands and units of the Army, echelons with newly promoted officers and non-commissioned officers, as well as a demonstration of weapons and equipment from the Army will be lined up.
