On the occasion of August 2nd – Ilinden, Day of the Republic, the President of the Republic of Macedonia Dr. Gjorge Ivanov addressed a congratulations note to the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and to all Macedonians throughout the world.

Dear citizens,

I wish to extend my warmest congratulations on the occasion of August 2nd, Ilinden – the Day of the Republic. Thanks to the two Ilindens, in 1903 and 1944, the beacons of our struggle for an independent state, today we have the possibility to live in a democratic and independent Republic of Macedonia.

109 years after the Ilinden uprising and 68 years after the ASNOM Session, the ideals of Ilinden revolutionaries and ASNOM participants are part of our everyday life and part of the vision for our future – a prosperous Republic of Macedonia, a country of equality for all citizens. Therefore, today we have all the reasons to celebrate and to be proud. Celebrating Ilinden in the Republic of Macedonia and all over the world, let us thank and pay tribute to all known and unknown heroes from our history. The foundations that they laid are now the bases for modern and independent Republic of Macedonia.

Dear fellow citizens, new temptations and challenges lay before us. United and in our togetherness, let us continue working with dedication to the building of a modern, prosperous and European society.

Many happy returns of the day.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov