Distinguished members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia,
Distinguished participants,
Fellow citizens,

It is a great honor to welcome you and congratulate you on August 18 – Day of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Today's holiday is of double importance, since we are celebrating it on the eve of the celebration marking a quarter century of independence of our homeland.

However, today I will not be talking about the beginnings of the Army in the dawn of independent and sovereign Republic of Macedonia. I will not speak about the great reform progress on our Euro-Atlantic path either. I will not speak about the numerous rotations of our troops in successful peace-keeping missions, or the thousands of recognitions and medals awarded by partner countries and armies. I will not mention any of this because the overall acquired knowledge and experience was put to the test in the course of this past year. The Army of the Republic of Macedonia passed that great test with flying colors.

Dear participants,

Today in Europe, courage is an expensive and rare thing. Macedonia showed that it has the courage to face threats. While NATO and EU found it difficult to handle the migration crisis and securing their borders, the Republic of Macedonia demonstrated its capacity to manage the threat.

The key role in that endeavor was and still is played by the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. It not only preserved the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the state, but it also strengthened national security and safety of Macedonian citizens.

The memories from last year's celebration of Army Day are still fresh. And I remember very well that only two days later, I made a decision to deploy Army troops along our southern border.

Therefore, as President of the Republic of Macedonia and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, I made the decision to decorate two battalions – the Military Police Battalion and the Engineering Battalion within the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. The Orders of Military merits that I awarded are a symbolic expression of gratitude of the Macedonian citizens to the guardians of their security and safety. Today, we must underline the risks that those people were facing during the migration crisis.

As Supreme Commander, I am proud of the Engineering Battalion of the Army, that succeeded in raising a protective fence of 20 km in only two days. Let me repeat - 20 kilometers in no more than two days.

If this effort was an expression of bravery, then I must also emphasize that the 20 km of road built for the needs of Macedonian citizens and the two bridges for the inhabitants of Poroj are additional reasons to rank the Engineering battalion among the most deserving ones within our Army.

The Military Police Battalion is in no way different in terms of merit. In the past year, members of this battalion deployed along the south border line put their lives at risk on many occasions, while performing their constitutional obligations.

When decoration this unit, one must not forget to mention the escort of convoys and performance of extremely complex and dangerous tasks related to the protection of very important persons, both in Macedonia and abroad.

In these past, exceptionally difficult 12 months featuring numerous threats and risks, the Army was successful in preventing over 19.000 attempts for illegal crossing of the border. The Army, together with the Police, successfully prevented the attempts of thousands of migrants to violently break the protection fence and inundate the territory of our country. With this, the Army and the Police manage to protect the Balkan migration route and Europe itself.

During the migration crisis, the 2500 members of the Army achieved something that bigger and better equipped armies had been unable to achieve. The only motive you had was your wish to protect the homeland.

However, the migration crisis was not the only test our Army had to pass. We were successful in resisting the initial migration wave, but unfortunately not in the case of the wave of natural disaster.

Distinguished participants,

Only ten days ago, the Republic of Macedonia was struck by grief. In the flood of enormous dimensions that struck several quarters of Skopje, 22 of our fellow citizens, from the most vulnerable categories, lost their lives. The victims were mostly women and children. Apart from the invaluable loss of human life, hundreds of families in Stajkovci, Singelikj, Chento, Arachinovo and other areas near the Skopje Ring road have also suffered major material damages.

A day after the flood I said that this is a time for humanity and solidarity, a time when we must all leave aside daily politics. I am encouraged to see that, every day, citizens and institutions are showing solidarity to the people from the flood-stricken areas - these in donations, equipment but also in labor. Our neighbors from the region, our friends and partners in Europe also showed solidarity in action. We are thankful for all the assistance they have provided us in these difficult days.

However, there is again one institution that was a frontrunner in terms of readiness and self-sacrifice – and that is the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Simultaneously, it has been protecting the border from an inflow of illegal migration and helping its citizens in the areas affected by the flood.

The following should also be mentioned and praised. While the flood was still striking, Army units were already deployed in the most seriously affected areas of Skopje region. For this task, the Army engaged over 2600 of its troops and over 200 vehicles. Without the timely reaction and self – sacrifice of the Army, there would have been more victims and greater losses.

We all know that this is not the first time. In August of last year, areas of Tetovo were affected by floods. Several months prior to that, in February, Pelagonija suffered the same. The Army was everywhere to assist in handling natural disasters and restoring affected areas. At all times and everywhere, the Army stands ready to help their citizens. Because it is their guardian.

Speaking about these merits, I cannot but point to a paradox that has been happening in continuity. Namely, the more challenges multiply, the more the Army becomes engaged - the more, with every year, we see its budget reduce. And with such a reduced budget, it is expected that the Army de facto realizes the tasks of other institutions, including in the case of natural and man-made disasters and handling their consequences.

On this occasion, I wish to repeat what I have been underlining for several years now. It is of utmost importance to pay attention to the Army budget and the living standard of Army members. This because the Army protects the border, but also the sovereignty, security and unitary character of the Republic of Macedonia.

We are still awaiting the effects of the Army modernization process. Therefore, I ask that the Army be given what belongs to it, and what is necessary in order for it to continue being the shield of our independence and sovereignty and the pillar of our stability and security.

Dear participants,

In the case of natural disasters, it has somehow become a habit to mobilize the Army first. It is, of course, an expression of trust in the ability of the Army to successfully complete the task. As Supreme Commander, I can proudly say that the Army has always justified this trust. But, what does this practice say about the readiness of other competent institutions? The repeated mobilization of the Army in the case of natural disasters is not a sustainable solution. The use of the Army in handling natural disasters should be an exception, rather than a rule. However, it seems that we have allowed for the exception to turn into a rule.

Therefore, today, I would like to make an appeal to all competent institutions within the crisis management system and the
protection and rescue system, to act in accordance with their legal competences. We cannot allow that the entire burden in the case of natural disasters be placed on the shoulders of the Army and Police, when at the same time part of their troops have been deployed in order to protect the national border. It is irresponsible to spend Army resources in order to save one's own.

These disastrous floods are a warning and a reality check. This was a warning that it is not enough to only rehabilitate the stricken areas. It is necessary to build a culture of disaster risk resilience.

After this disaster in Skopje, nothing should ever be the same. We must not wait for a disaster to occur, and then act reactively. We must act preventively. We cannot afford ourselves the luxury of passiveness. There is a need for increased institutional cooperation among institutions at the local and central level. There is a need for cohesion between state, science and civil society as regards state interests. We must pay attention to what is built, where and in what manner. It is necessary to finally close the circle of responsibility. It is the only way to build a safer future for our children. And that future is becoming more and more uncertain.

At the same time, apart from natural, we are also feeling the consequences of man-made disasters stemming from regional conflicts and failed states in the Middle East and Northern Africa. According to the information at our disposal, there is a possibility for a second, more massive migration wave. This means that there is still a pending threat for violent reopening of the Balkan Migration Corridor.

The migration crisis, as well as the financial and debt crisis, have shaken the foundations of the two pillars of the European Union – Schengen and Eurozone. The increasing number of terrorist attacks has only deepened the security crisis. Vandalism and violent acts perpetrated by members of extreme movements have polarized European societies. In order words, we are living in a time of a new world disorder.

In such conditions, it is more than necessary for the countries of the region to mutually support each other instead of blocking each other. Even in such complex geopolitical conditions, we are still witnessing the irresponsible blockade to Macedonia's NATO membership.

But we are not discouraged. Not only will we continue our Euro-Atlantic integration, but we will also continue participating in peace-keeping missions. These are missions that have enabled us to demonstrate the operational capacity and interoperability of the Army. We will continue participating in the "Decisive Support" mission, through which we provide our direct contribution to building Afghanistan's security system and creating conditions for a safer future of Afghani citizens. And we shall not stop there. The Army has enough capacity and training to participate in UN - led peace-keeping missions.

Distinguished members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia,

The Army has justified the trust of our partners many times, but most importantly – it has justified the trust of its citizens. Therefore, I wish many happy returns of this day to everyone. To those who are waving the flag of our homeland a thousand miles from here. To all those protecting the border. To those who are helping citizens in the flooded areas.

I congratulate all members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, all newly-appointed officers, soldiers and civilians serving in the Army. But I also congratulate their families for showing support and encouragement.

I congratulate you and I thank you for your professionalism and discipline in the performance of your task of high responsibility, but above all, for your solidarity shown to the citizens and loyalty towards our homeland.

Long live Army day, August 18!
Long live the Army of the Republic of Macedonia!
Long live the Republic of Macedonia!