The President of the Republic of Macedonia and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today in the Monastery "St. Joakim Osogovski" near Kriva Palanka, attended the memorial service for the fallen defenders of the Republic of Macedonia in the 2001 conflict and the May 2015 events in Kumanovo.

In his speech, President Ivanov stressed that the event is held before the great Christian holiday, Forgiveness, which, in the spirit of Christianity and our ancestors, teaches us to forgive. We must forgive, President Ivanov said, but not forget the reason why these young people gave their lives for.

"We are here to pay tribute to the defenders, but also to their loved ones, because grief should be shared, and to tell them that their sacrifice and deeds will not be forgotten. There are invalids among us, injured, and I say, wounds are healed, but the wounds of the soul never. Therefore, this event will become a tradition so that all future young generations know that what lives were given for what we have today", the Macedonian President said.

Johan Tarculovski said that today's gathering is a tribute to all defenders and a message to entire Macedonia that those sacrifices were not in vain.
We think of the homeland, there are Macedonians honest patriots, who will fight till the last drop of blood for this country to remain what it is, because our ancestors left it for us in legacy and it is our honor and responsibility to defend the homeland. It is no policy, it is neither VMRO nor SDSM, this is pure defense of the homeland. No one can deny the will of the people, and people want a unitary state with one and only language, Macedonian", Tarchlulovski said.

The memorial service officiated by the representative of the Kriva Palanka archbishopric, Aleksandar Smiljkov, was attended by the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Metodi Velickovski, Sladjana Mitovska, Member of Parliament, the Mayor of Kriva Palanka, Arsenco Aleksovski, interior ministry officials, political parties , disabled veterans of the 2001 conflict, family members and many citizens.

The event is organized by the Association of Disabled Veterans, "Defender 2001", but was attended by members of all associations of defenders in the country.

In the 2001 conflict, 135 defenders were killed, and in the events of May 2015 in Kumanovo eight defenders laid their lives for the motherland.