Distinguished Members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia,
Honorable Dean of the Military Academy,
Respected Professors,
Dear Cadets and Students at the Military Academy,
Esteemed Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honor, as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to greet you on this significant anniversary for the Republic of Macedonia.

Today we are celebrating 20 years since the official establishment of the Military Academy. I say official because military knowledge and skills in Macedonia were taught and transferred for many generations.

We live in an area that has given great military leaders who have changed, with their deeds, the course of the Macedonian, but also the world history. Here, many armies have passed through, many boundaries have been drawn and many trenches dug. We have witnessed numerous uprisings; we have had many slain warriors, but not defeated ones. Out of the major turbulences, we, as a nation, have always come out more united, stronger and richer with new experience and knowledge on how to win the next battle.

From uprising to uprising, from battle to battle, knowledge and skills of military methodology were adapted and improved.

We can be proud that our experience is gained not only through correct and tried military methods, techniques and strategies, but it is based on the most noble of all motives, which is freedom. The thirst for freedom of Macedonia was transferred with the breast milk, was motivated by the testimony of the heroes, was confirmed by the vows of the insurgents and partisans, and was always checked on the battlefield.

We have learned a very important lesson: that no one will love Macedonia if we do not love it. Nobody will fight for Macedonia if we do not fight for it first. No one will protect Macedonia if we do not protect it.

Thanks to the accumulated knowledge and the efforts of the Macedonian fighters, 70 years ago, Macedonia emerged as one of the winners in the World War II. Our People's Liberation Army was under the command of the patron of this Military Academy - General Mihajlo Apostolski.

Dear Cadets,

In many ways, you are a privileged generation.

Knowledge of military skills is not acquired under the yoke of slavery or in the trenches of the battle fronts. You are not wearing foreign uniforms and are not overshadowed by someone else's flags. You have chosen one of the noblest professions and that is to take care of the defence of the free homeland.

However, you should never forget that the overall knowledge you are being taught of today at the Military Academy has been gained through the difficult experience of our ancestors. Each principle embedded in the military strategies and tactics is a result of real-life situations faced by the strategists, officers, NCOs and soldiers on the battlefields in Macedonia and worldwide.

We ought to never forget in order not to go through what our ancestors have gone through. And they went through slavery, division and occupation through violent struggles and through grueling hikes. They lived day by day with great self-denial and personal sacrifice for their descendants not to have to go through the same.

Generations of professors, assistant professors and instructors, theoreticians and practitioners are dedicated for already 20 years to convey this precious knowledge and maintain the awareness among all officers and NCOs who were educated at our Military Academy.

Therefore, today, when the Army of the Republic of Macedonia is recognized as synonymous with patriotism, loyalty and discipline, it is thanks to the outstanding quality officers and NCOs resulting from the Military Academy.

In this great school of our army, of our security forces, current and future military leaders of Macedonia are tempered and re-tempered. This generation of cadets is going through an extremely difficult program which is fully compatible with the criteria of the Alliance for staff education. Here students are trained who will become a very important part of the crisis management, protection and rescue systems.

With dedication and diligence, learning from the current generation, you acquire the right to be officers, but also teachers and leaders of the next generation. And, not only here in Macedonia but also abroad, at the military academies of our strategic partners and allies.

Along with the right, you have a duty towards the Macedonian flag that adorns your uniform, a duty to the soldiers you will lead with your personal example and a responsibility to the citizens you will protect with your decisions.

Taking care of the defence, of the territorial sovereignty and integrity of the Republic of Macedonia, you will ensure the three things that are of utmost importance for each person, and they are: carefree childhood, prosperous life and peaceful old age, here in our homeland.

Security is essential for democracy, as well as for the Macedonian model of coexistence, respect and acceptance of diversity. Indeed, both the Army and the security services fully reflect our Macedonian reality.

The officers coming out of the Military Academy are in the forefront of the last line of defence of these top values we promote. Today, when we are faced with many new challenges and new complex threats, your contribution is more important than ever before.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Seven decades after the end of the World War II we again face a threat to peace and security globally. On the soil of Europe, Asia, Africa, there are again divisions, xenophobia, extremism, terrorism and armed conflicts.

Recently, the Republic of Macedonia has suffered negative effects of a group that tried to compromise the security of the state and bring chaos, uncertainty and fear among the Macedonian citizens. Your brothers in arms, from the Ministry of Interior, prevented them in their intention.

The territorial sovereign state is faced with new non- territorial threats, such as cyber-security. Natural disasters and man-caused disasters are a growing challenge for crisis management, protection and rescue systems.

These and similar security challenges often exceed the capacity of the states themselves to respond. Thus, for more than a decade, a whole generation of officers, NCOs and soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia continuously contributes to peace, security and stability in the world.

We have had 9 rotations in Iraq and 27 rotations in Afghanistan, including the PHOENIX mission. Our peacekeepers partake in the missions: "Resolute Support" in Afghanistan, ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and UNIFIL in Lebanon. With 16 MAPs, the Army of the Republic of Macedonia is one of the armies that has been checked the most in NATO's history.

Macedonia's contribution is not symbolic but substantive. At one point, we were the third-country contributor per capita, sharing the vision of a free and democratic world. We had more troops in Afghanistan than 90% of the NATO member states.

Yet, we contribute because we believe.

Although the Republic of Macedonia is not yet in NATO, the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, de facto, is in NATO. Therefore, the Republic of Macedonia does not deviate from the set Euro-Atlantic path.

We expect our partners and allies to make a bold decision and finally unblock our deserved NATO membership. Because together we are stronger.

Distinguished Guests,

We still have much to talk about the contribution of the Military Academy and the Army of Republic of Macedonia.
But, how much does the Republic of Macedonia contribute to its army?

As Commander-in-Chief, I know the Macedonian soldier is modest, grateful and satisfied with little. But in this precisely is his greatness and with that we are obliges to take even greater care, because taking care of the army we care for Macedonia.

Hence, as President of the Republic of Macedonia, I constantly insist on raising the funds for the Army so that it can be ready for the challenges, because I firmly believe that no army is better than its soldiers, its officers and NCOs. We must invest in the Army!

At the end, I will leave you with this thought.

What is left in the covenant for us is not only free and independent Republic of Macedonia but also all the accumulated knowledge of how to defend freedom. Because freedom is not attained once and for all, but daily and continuously. This is a call to every new generation of cadets and students of the Military Academy.

Many happy returns to this great jubilee of the Military Academy!
Long live the Republic of Macedonia!
Long live the Army of the Republic of Macedonia!