Dear citizens of the Republic of Macedonia,
Dear descendents of our known and unknown heroes who sacrificed their lives for our homeland – Macedonia,

Today, on Ilinden, in front of the monument dedicated to one of Macedonia's most notable sons, Metodija Andonov – Chento, I congratulate you on the most important Macedonian holiday.

Today we celebrate the realization of the dream that Macedonian patriots and revolutionaries lived, fought and sacrificed their lives for; a dream that made generations of Macedonians stronger and helped them survive every day spent in slavery and under foreign rule. In the never-ending nights of non-freedom, thousands of people had the same dream - the dream of a free, sovereign and independent Macedonia.

On the first Ilinden in 1903, 111 years ago, Ilinden fighters raised their voice for freedom.

The famous Krushevo Republic was short lived and violently suppressed. Many Macedonians, Vlachs, Albanians, Jews...many brave sons and daughters of Macedonia sacrificed their lives for freedom. They took with them many personal dreams they could never realize, save for one – the dream of freedom, which was passed on from generation to generation, ancestor to successor, and father to child.

The dream of freedom is far stronger than a single defeat.

On Ilinden 1924, Dimo Hadzi Dimov published his last words, stating: "Macedonia had its first Ilinden followed by bloody days of defeat and suffering during this quarter of a century. It will have its second Ilinden, but in the new future era of victories and liberation. This second Ilinden is very close, it is coming..." .

The Ilinden he announced indeed came.

In 1941, Macedonian people raised to fight for freedom, stood up against foreign rule and confronted the evil of fascism and Nazism.

On the second Ilinden in 1944, 70 years ago, old Ilinden fighters and young fighters from the National Liberation and Antifascist movement finally realized the centuries-long dream of Macedonian people - the dream of being a free people in a free country.

ASNOM became a symbol of freedom and an expression of sovereignty of the Macedonian state.

ASNOM gave us the institutions where all decisions are adopted; institutions implementing the will of our citizens and where political dialogue takes place. ASNOM binds us even today to lead dialogue and cooperation within the institutions of the state.

ASNOM gave us the Declaration on the fundamental rights of citizens in democratic Macedonia, stating that "all citizens are equal in front of the law, regardless of their nationality, gender, race and religion"; a Declaration guaranteeing all citizens their "freedom of speech, press, gathering, agreement and freedom of association"; a Declaration left to us as a promise to respect the rights and freedoms that do not violate the rights and freedoms of others.

However, ASNOM was a short-lived light of our willingness for sovereignty and statehood; a light that was dimmed by a regime which swallowed many open-minded Macedonian patriots, people's people, who knew best what people wished for; the first among them being Metodija Andonov – Chento.

As a popular tribune and humanist, as a civic democrat, Chento never accepted directives and always fought for the interests of the people. And he did all of this for the price of his life and freedom. Only a brave man of principle can do what Chento did – introduce in the Constitution of the new Yugoslav Federation the right to self – determination, including the right to separate. The very same right used by Macedonian citizens in 1991.

As the first President of the ASNOM Presidium, Chento was the moral consciousness of independent Macedonia. However, his advice was not followed and the legacy of Ilinden and ASNOM was not respected.

As an object of propaganda at its cruelest, Chento was destroyed economically, isolated socially, persecuted politically. His achievements for Macedonia were stripped of value, his liberation activities were tarnished. What was he blamed for? He was blamed for being led by the interests of Macedonia. He was blamed for sincerely wishing to be ourselves on our own land. To be able to interpret the past ourselves. To be able to build the present ourselves. To be able to plan our future ourselves.

Dear fellow citizens,

Chento initiated the convocation of ASNOM.
Chento became the first President of the ASNOM Presidium and accepted the decisions of ASNOM.
Therefore, when Chento was tried, ASNOM was tried.

By paying tribute to Chento, we also pay tribute to all those who contributed to state establishing ASNOM. We pay tribute to all those who were unjustly tried – to Brashnarov and Shatev, Polezhinovski and Chuchkov, Shatorov – Sharlo and Piruze – Mayski, Fotev, Agoli, Sokolov and many other known and unknown patriots. They were judged because of their love for Macedonia. They were judged because for them, Macedonia was above everything else.

Dear fellow citizens,

In these 111 years, there were moments when it seemed that the flame of Macedonian freedom would fade. After the suppression of the Ilinden uprising in 1903, after the signature of the Bucharest treaty in 1913 or following the Paris peace conference in 1919, or after the countless tombs on Goli Otok. Many had expected to see this flame extinguished once and for all. They expected and hoped to see the dream of Macedonia drown in the darkness of Balkan propaganda, secret agreements and divisions. And yet, this flame never faded. It remained there, waiting for the right moment to relight.

And it did relight, surprising all those who believed that Macedonia will disappear along with SFRY.

On the third Ilinden, on September 8, 1991, Macedonian citizens regained their sovereignty and reaffirmed the independence of the Republic of Macedonia.

When on September 8 we cast our vote for an independent and sovereign Republic of Macedonia, we did that thanks to Chento as well.

Dear fellow citizens,

Why do I keep mentioning the name of Chento so many times? Because his voice was the voice of Goce Delchev and Kuzman Josifovski – Pitu, Pere Toshev and Mirche Acev, Dame Gruev and Orce Nikolov. Komitas and Partisans.

All of them who died fighting for the dream, left two testaments as a legacy. And a testament is a word that binds. It is a serious message to everyone that loves Macedonia.

The first testament is to safeguard Macedonia.

It is not an easy thing to do. All adult citizens of Macedonia know that it is not an easy feat. Freedom is not a gift. It is the deepest respect towards our predecessors, self-sacrifice in the face of challenge and responsibility towards future generations.

Some still refuse to believe that the Republic of Macedonia is a reality in the Balkans and in Europe. They deny our language, name, identity, our right to exist and to be who we are and who we have always been.

Some still live in illusions and look for the answer to the Macedonian question without Macedonia and the Macedonians, without the Macedonian language and Macedonian identity. They ask a question that has already been answered, blissfully unaware that they will always face the same unambiguous answer – the answer we provided on the third Ilinden, on September 8, 1991.

During these 111 years, some tried to prevent us from celebrating Ilinden. Others tried forcefully to impose the celebration of some kind of Ilinden, unrecognizable to us. But, Macedonian people are not naïve and know that water is purest at the source. Ilinden is the source of Macedonian freedom; a source that provided for generations of fighters. Macedonian people never allowed for this source of freedom and independence to dry or be mudded. It remained a pure and everlasting symbol of our insubordination, our struggle and our hard-gained freedom.
Therefore, those who wish to join us in the celebration of the first Ilinden, should know that with this, they will inevitably celebrate the second and the third Macedonian Ilinden. Because, Ilinden is not only the 1903 Ilinden uprising – Ilinden is also the 1944 state-establishing ASNOM and 1991 independent and sovereign Republic of Macedonia.

The Republic of Macedonia is a reality in the Balkans and a reality in Europe. We are here. Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Serbs, Roma, Bosniaks, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Atheists – and we are all grateful to all those who dreamt of and fought for freedom. And I am happy, as a Macedonian, as President of the Republic of Macedonia, that young people living and growing up in Macedonia today, understand the expression "to die for freedom" as one regarding work, responsibility and cohabitation. Let us keep it that way.

And just as Ilinden fighters stood up against slavery and fought for freedom, just as ASNOM fighters stood up against fascism and Nazism and established the state, so should we, fighting for justice and human dignity, fight for a progressive, European and Euro-Atlantic Republic of Macedonia.

However, in order to achieve this, we have to work as a team. And keep Macedonia above all in whatever we do.

Let us safeguard Macedonia as an independent and sovereign country that establishes and guarantees rule of law, human rights and civil freedoms.
Let us safeguard Macedonia as a country of peace and cohabitation, social justice, solidarity and progress of personal and common life.
Let us preserve Macedonia that cherishes a centuries-long tradition of cohabitation, acceptance and respect for diversity.
Let us safeguard and build it as a stable, European and Euro-Atlantic Macedonia, open towards its neighbors and to the world.

The second testament is to make Macedonia more prosperous and rich.

Let us make Macedonia economically powerful and developed; a country in which young people will be able to get quality education, work and conditions to establish families and have children of their own. Together, let us bring new knowledge, new technologies and new investments to Macedonia; let us open new markets for Macedonian products and new spaces for Macedonian authors, for more job posts and a better quality of life in Macedonia.

Distinguished fellow citizens,

After long Macedonian nights of suffering, unsuccessful attempts and forgotten heroic deeds, today we live our freedom, sovereignty and independence.

After more than 100 years of dreaming of independence, we have 23 years of independence. If we can say that we have had continuity of our dream for freedom, we can now say that we have the continuity of a free and independent Macedonia.

Continuity is our obligation, no matter what time will bring. There will be storms, but they too shall be weathered. There will be challenges, but we will overcome them together. Because the Macedonian dream has come true.

At the very end, and on this holy day I have a message for you – we have enough energy for many new endeavors; we bear the responsibility because we know about the heroes who laid their lives for Macedonia and because we think about our children, of our future.

Long live Ilinden!
Long live freedom and independence!
Long live the Republic of Macedonia!

/RS/