Respected citizens of the Republic of Macedonia,
Distinguished descendants of the known and unknown heroes who gave their lives for their homeland Macedonia,

Today, on Ilinden, from heroic Krusevo, I congratulate you the greatest Macedonian holiday, the festival of light, the holiday of freedom.

On Ilinden we proved that we are people worthy of freedom. Pavel Satev said "the armed uprising launched on Ilinden is the brightest date and event because the uprising itself expressed the unity of the Macedonian people".

On August 2, 1918, here in Krusevo, Dr. Hristo Tatarcev said that "Krusevo was the first gain - declared a free city in free Macedonia... The Ilinden Uprising laid the foundation of a free Macedonia".

25 years later, again on August 2, at the Prespa Counseling, Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu said that "the memory of Ilinden needs more than ever to shine in the eyes of the Macedonian people, in the face of all decent and freedom-loving Macedonians, all who love their country, to do their best to achieve a new, last and victorious Ilinden ... ".

Dear fellow citizens,

In our liberation struggle, we faced powerful armies and more numerous opponents. But the greatest challenge for us was our unity.

When one wanted to undermine the Macedonian liberation struggle, he sowed seeds of strife, divisions and betrayals with propaganda. Throughout our history, disunity was the weakest thread of Macedonia. However, in several historic moments, the people of Macedonia managed to dispel the divisions and be in harmony. These bright moments are our three Ilindens. And those Ilindens were preceded and followed by our manifestos.

Whenever we were at a crossroads we faced the choice between life and death, between prison for slaves and free homeland of free people, between intolerance and coexistence; and, at every major milestone we had a manifesto as a roadmap that would help us avoid the wrong and choose the right path.

The first Macedonian Manifesto expresses the last call, the last bell to wake up all asleep Macedonian souls.

"This moment is crucial for Macedonia. It is a matter of life or death", is written in the Manifesto of the Provisional Government "Unity" of March 23, 1881. This Manifesto was issued at a time when it was believed that there is a danger that Macedonia could be divided and the people wiped out. Even then the Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Jews knew that only in UNITY they could win freedom.

The second Macedonian Manifesto expresses the desire for a free Macedonia in which all its citizens, regardless of their nationality and religion, can live as brothers and neighbors. The Krusevo Manifesto of 1903 is a manifesto of coexistence, mutual assistance and UNITY in times of adversity.
And we have survived a lot of troubles. In slavery and in freedom, in war and in peace, many tried to spread hatred among the children of Macedonia who worship God in different temples and speak different languages. And they are still trying, as we were recently reminded with the event in Kumanovo.

The third Macedonian Manifesto is a manifesto of reconciliation.

The Balkan Wars and the World War I finally dashed to pieces the illusions of the Macedonian activists that freedom can be begged, not won. That the freedom of Macedonia can be given, not conquered.

Therefore, on May 15, 1924, in Vienna, realizing that only united can they fight for Macedonia, the then opponents stretched their hands in reconciliation and called for establishment of a Single Macedonian Revolutionary Front.

The May Manifesto is a manifesto of reconciliation and unity of ideological opponents, of the leftists and rightists, communists and conservatives, socialists and anarchists, who had different ideologies, but ONLY ONE party, and that was free Macedonia.

The fourth Macedonian Manifesto was proclaimed at the state-founding ASNOM.

With the World War II, when for the fourth time in 30 years Macedonia was occupied and divided, came the most difficult years for the Macedonian people, which was exploited, imprisoned, tortured, denied, assimilated...

Yet, that harsh reality revived the revolutionary tradition of Ilinden. People dedicated themselves to the relentless struggle against fascism which was at the same time a just struggle for freedom.

Thus, on August 2, 1944, the ASNOM Manifesto proclaimed that "out of the severe fighting and shed blood of the best Macedonian sons, today we attend the first National Assembly, the symbol of our freedom and expression of our sovereignty, proclaiming to the whole world the full national freedom of the Macedonian people in the FIRST FREE MACEDONIAN STATE".

ASNOM was the dazzle of the state-founding will of the people of Macedonia. But the full sovereignty was postponed until September 8, 1991, the third Ilinden, when we firmly stood on our own.

Respected citizens,

Only ten years after the third Ilinden, we found ourselves at a crossroads again. When we decided to turn a new page of coexistence and respect, we again came out with a manifesto.

This Macedonian Manifesto was created by the man who knew how to depict the Macedonian spirit best. I well remember the day when Petre M. Andreevski took up the task to write a new manifesto of the new generation. It is a manifesto of survival.

He recalls that there were countless rebellions and uprisings, many soldiers killed, but we were not defeated. That there were many blinded soldiers, but not blind spiritual horizons.

He reminds and warns to level up once and for all the deep furrows of division and hatred, because there is no future or hope in hatred... and that only united and with mutual trust we will be everywhere and always stronger.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The thread that binds all our manifestos and all our Ilindens is the call for UNITY in achieving a higher goal.

For the Ilinden fighters, the highest goal was freedom.
For the ASNOM members, it was the statehood.
For us, it was independence and sovereignty.
For our children, for young people, it is the progress and prosperity of the European Republic of Macedonia.

However, we behave today as if we have forgotten the lesson that cost us so dearly. As if we have forgotten that everything we have achieved, the freedom, statehood and independence, has been achieved when we were united. But also that everything we have lost, every perspective, opportunity and chance, has been lost when we were disunited.

Macedonia is facing a major turning point again today.

Although free, it seems that Macedonia is still a slave of divisions.
Although independent and sovereign, Macedonia still seeks solutions for internal issues beyond its boundaries.
Although united in ethnic and religious diversity, Macedonia is still politically deeply divided.

Respected fellow citizens,

We are aware that disunity is a consequence of the blocked European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes. The long-lasting blockade led to three political crises in only six years, each more serious and deeper that the previous. And, with every crisis, the achievement of higher goals has been increasingly concerned.

Top strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia are membership in NATO and in the European Union. More than 80% of the citizens clearly support Macedonia's membership in NATO and the European Union. Not a single political party in the Republic of Macedonia can win as many votes as NATO and the EU have currently supporters. For the citizens, NATO means security, and the European Union means prosperity. Together, they mean peace.

Macedonian citizens expect from their elected representatives, both from the government and the opposition, a better life in the European Macedonia.

However, due to the prolonged absence of political dialogue, there was a serious danger of missing the European perspective. We are grateful for the involvement of our friends from the European Union and the United States. Their recommendations must be taken seriously. I welcome the agreement reached between the leaders of the political parties, and urge for its implementation. However, it is sad that we are in a situation someone else to take more care for us.

As if we have not learned that best solutions are those achieved by us, through dialogue in the institutions we have created, and whose representatives we have democratically elected. That is indeed the meaning of sovereignty.

The political crisis reminded us of our strategic objectives. Yet, it reminded that sovereignty brings responsibility. However, we behaved very irresponsibly.

This crisis is also an opportunity for us, for the European Union and NATO. It turned out that the blockade does not resolve but only exacerbate the political and security situation in Macedonia. It is high time the Union to give us a date to start accession negotiations, and the name issue to be Chapter 35 in the negotiations. It is high time for NATO to respect the ruling of the International Court of Justice and hand us over the long deserved membership invitation.

I want to send a message to our neighbors. Before every summit of the European Union and NATO, our southern neighbor is doing everything to block us.

Before each Ilinden, neighboring Bulgaria is demanding a joint celebration of the past. We rejoice in the successes of our neighbors because these are successes of the region. I eagerly wait for the day when, together with the Bulgarian President, we will celebrate the ultimate success of the joint project of our scientists, artists, businessmen...

It is easy to find reasons for quarrels if we start to entangle further the already tangled knot of common Balkan history, if we begin to open the old wounds. But it is the worst possible policy of sowing fear, misconceptions and prejudices.

It is high time we, as presidents, to be the bridge connecting the most creative and innovative minds of our two countries. Only then we will work for a better future for our countries and our peoples.

The countries of our region cannot afford the past to continue to steal the present and the future of their citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I will go back to the consequences of the blockade. Macedonian citizens want to work and earn a decent salary. Therefore, as a country, we have invested much time and energy in attracting foreign investors to open factories and new jobs for the citizens.

However, due to the damaged reputation of the country, there was a danger the investment to curb and the economic growth to decline. The political battle between the parties must not harm the economy because the wages, pensions, subsidies, scholarships depend on it.
But the political crisis spilled over into the domain of security. Blocking of institutions and disapproving the democratic will of the citizens lowered the security immunity of the Republic of Macedonia.

On May 9, the Europe Day, an armed group of criminals and extremists, intending to commit acts of terrorism, tried to threaten the security of the state. They tried to question the European future of Macedonia. They tried to plow the most precious we have - the Macedonian model of coexistence and respect for diversity. Fortunately, they failed in their evil intent.

The members of the Ministry of Interior defended the security while the citizens defended the coexistence. Hence, the covenant of Krusevo was fulfilled in Kumanovo!

But Kumanovo reminded us that if we are disunited and feuding, the enemy can easily slip between us. That lesson is paid in human lives and we must not forget it.

Dear fellow citizens,

The security earthquake failed to shake the coexistence. Nevertheless, the political earthquake shook the foundation of Macedonia, and that is trust.

In 1925, Krste Petkov Misirkov wrote that: "We, the Macedonian intelligence, undoubtedly bear the greatest responsibility for the situation in which our homeland is today. However, there are circumstances that lessen our guilt..."

But today, 90 years later, here, from Krusevo, I say that there are no circumstances that would lessen the responsibility of the Macedonian intellectuals, politicians, media, NGOs...

Everyone bears part of the responsibility for the irresponsible behavior in its own sphere of action.

Participation in public space means public decency and public accountability for every word uttered in public.

But what kinds of words have fulfilled the public space? In the past period, we and our children have listened to astringent, vulgar and brutal words that create mistrust among the people.

Although we speak the same language, we no longer understand each other.
Although we have gone through good and through bad together, rejoiced in the victories and mourned in the defeats, we behave as if we are strangers.
We have ceased to believe in the given word.
We have never been fighting so much since the time of propaganda.

The dialogue was reduced to a monologue in which nobody listens to anybody. The absence of the opposition from the institutions prevented for long the mechanism of control. It is unacceptable that our political system depends on the character of the leaders of the political parties.
The Macedonian citizens expect from all participants in the political processes to behave reasonably and responsibly and show political maturity. The citizens expect the government to be the creator and the opposition corrector of the political and legal decisions. But, they also expect that process to take place where it belongs - in the state institutions. The institutions must function. Without people, nothing happens and without institutions, nothing lasts.

It is needed to restore trust in the institutions in which there are gaps. In education, in judiciary, in defense and also in security.

This country has been built by educators and teachers as Goce Delchev and Gjorce Petrov, Dame Gruev and Dimo Hadzi Dimov, Misirkov and Cupovski... Therefore, the new Law on Higher Education which caused public attention should gain support from universities, professors and students.

The judiciary must finally become a true guardian of justice.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As a nation, we have many times experienced persecution. There is almost no family in Macedonia without history of personally experienced persecution in the past. Accordingly, we, as a country, helped the refugees from Kosovo in 1999. Today, a river of migrants from the Middle East, North Africa, Asia is going through Macedonia.

I was at our southern border and very well know the situation faced by the migrants and our fellow citizens.

I praise all human individuals and organizations that help migrants. But, let us not forget that the Republic of Macedonia is a transit country only. Migrants arrive from a European Union member-state and head towards other Union member-states.

As Kumanovo reminded us that we have to maintain coexistence, migrants remind us that we live on a corridor. We must protect the corridor. Therefore, as President and as Commander in Chief, I am involved in initiating reforms of the services in the field of security and defense. Additional cooperation among these important institutions is essential, as well as greater transparency and civilian control through the Parliament. Since the sovereignty of the state is protected at the border.

Respected Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Vlachs, Bosniaks, Roma,
Distinguished Christians, Muslims, Jews,
Dear fellow citizens,

It is high time to fulfill the last Macedonian Manifesto. It is time the clenched fist to be replaced with open arms, the irresponsible behavior with the necessary responsibility and mutual accusations with trust restored.

Trust is the need of the individual and connective tissue of the society. An individual without trust is isolated and a society composed of isolated individuals falls apart.

As President of the Republic of Macedonia, I have always been doing everything within my powers to ensure conditions for dialogue and confidence-building.
Our goal must be a state and a society based upon mutual trust. Trust between the citizen and the state and among the state institutions. The key to trust is in the responsibility because every entitlement means responsibility and everyone who makes decisions takes responsibility for his steps. Only this way the state and the future are built. Responsible citizens in a responsible state.

I said, and I will say it again: Now is awakening and sobering time.

Hence, as we live with our deepest religious and ethnic differences, we shall have to learn again to live with our ideological and political differences. Because there is one thing that transcends and levels all the differences, and that is Macedonia. It is our responsibility to the legacy of our ancestors and to the future of our children. Because our interests are the same, and the future is common.

Many happy returns on the day of Ilinden!
To our eternal freedom and independence!
Long live the Republic of Macedonia!