Today is a bright day for Macedonia. We celebrate the heroic deed and feat of thousands who in the glorious year 1903 raised an uprising, which is not only an uprising for freedom, but also an uprising of the libertarian spirit, a fight for justice, faith in values ​​and hope to win after centuries of slavery, falls, difficult life and numerous victims, noted Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski from Mechkin kamen.

- We have a debt, to history, but also to ourselves, as people, to show worthy respect and to treat the work and heroism of these people with serious dignity and respect. Each of us here, and all over the world, should know that the heroes of this country were humble and defiant people who paid with their lives for the freedom we have and live today. Every piece of land on which we move today is soaked with the blood of the Indians, with the suffering and sacrifice of thousands before, which only gives an answer that our struggle has continuity, it lasted and persisted, that the heroes of this country are all those who on their own shoulder to shoulder with their own sacrifice they paid the expensive price of the freedom we have today - he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the visionary nature of that Indian generation of heroes must be recognized and respected.

- At that time in Europe, monarchies have the main momentum and full glory, and here in the middle of the angry Balkans, in enslaved Macedonia, in the small and glorious Krushevo, the Republic is born, the foundations of which are based on the idea of ​​democracy, people's rule and full respect for human rights . This only confirms the visionary nature of the heroes, but also the fact that the people's will, collective rights and the dignity of the individual have always been respected in the code of our nation. I am very proud of my people that we never reached out to someone else, never wanted something that wasn't ours, and always respected everyone else. Here, from these forests and slopes, one can witness not only the thunderous echo of the comites who, in these hours exactly 121 years ago, shouted URA, but also their dedication and undeniable concern for their people and the huge sacrifice they made. As well as the indisputable work of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization VMRO, which was the mother of the Macedonian struggle for freedom. And when someone tries to talk about our libertarian work as a country or asks where are the heroes of this country or talks about freedom or reaching for it, let them remember the fact that some of the people in the companies of the famous Dukes Nikola Karev and Pitu Guli were still under 19 and 20 years old, with enormous energy and enthusiasm they laid down their lives led by thought, idea, faith and hope for the freedom we have today and the future we are still fighting for today. They gave the most expensive, for our future, said the Prime Minister.

"Their courage, their insubordination and their sacrifice are irrevocably woven into our collective Macedonian identity. With the Republic of Krushevo, they left us a legacy of struggle and hope - a legacy that today we proudly carry and keep as the greatest sanctity," he said.

- Today, while we are honoring this magnificent history, we are reminded of the words of our great revolutionary Gotse Delchev who said: "I don't want an uprising with people who will abandon me at the first failure!" I want a revolution with capable citizens ready to bear all the trials of a long-term struggle...". These words echo our slogan "The Struggle Continues" – reminding us that the fight for freedom, justice and a better future requires perseverance, courage and unity. Ilinden is not just a historical story or a historical dream, but above all a historical truth. Ilinden is our strongest call to action and unity today. In times of global challenges, our struggle to preserve national identity and sovereignty is stronger than ever. Ilinden is a call for all of us – to continue fighting for our rights, for our culture, for our freedom. We should learn from them how great victories are won, because you may lose a battle, but it is important to win in your ultimate goal. Perseverance, attentiveness and above all a good plan to reach the right goal. That is the strategy that we should also use, to be loud in our views, to have a plan and to be persistent - he said.

Mickoski said that the fight is not over and that the fight continues.

We have an economic vision for a developed country. A new era of development and new jobs is coming. This is just the beginning of our economic renaissance, and the best is yet to come. Our goal is to create a stable and prosperous economy that will provide all our citizens with a better life and a secure future, the prime minister noted.

- I want to address the young people. Young people are our future. They are our hope and our strength. We invest in their education and in their development to prepare them for the challenges of the future. The youth are the ones who will lead the country forward, and we are here to support them every step of the way. I tell young people: do not be afraid of challenges, because you are the ones who will build the future, the ones who must nurture, defend and fight for common unity. We fought together in Ilinden and together we will build the new and strong Macedonia. Our strength is in our diversity and our unity. Only together can we build a common beacon in the darkness. Ilinden is our common inspiration and our greatest reminder that every generation has its own struggle. As our ancestors fought for freedom and justice, so today we fight together for our ideals. This is our oath that we will never give up, that we will always fight for our homeland, for our children and for our common future - Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister said: "Our strength is in our unity and togetherness.

– This is a call for solidarity to build a stronger state of equal citizens. In this sense, from here, on the famous Bear stone, I call for unity with our political opponents. Let us have before us the big picture of a developed and European country. A country that is united regardless of our political differences. Let's speak with one voice! Let's fight together and conquer great peaks and win together! The fight goes on is more than a slogan. With this message we celebrate Ilinden and remind ourselves of our responsibility to continue the fight for a better and fairer country. The fight continues and we are here to continue it. Let every word, every action and every dream for a better future be our struggle. Let our struggle continue, as it continued in the time of our ancestors - said Mickoski.

He quoted Winston Churchill:

"The end of an era means the beginning of a new one." The best thing we can do is embrace change with hope and strive for a better future.”

- May the memory of Ilinden be eternal. May God bless Macedonia, said the Prime Minister.