Venko Filipče honors Kiro Gligorov for peaceful Macedonian independence

At a ceremony organized by the SDSM titled ‘Macedonia is everything we have’, marking 35 years of independence, party leader Venko Filipče praised the historical merits of Kiro Gligorov. Filipče emphasized that Gligorov, the first president of independent Macedonia, was instrumental in securing the nation's independence through peaceful means, avoiding the wars, casualties, and disarmament issues that plagued other republics during the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Filipče noted that Gligorov’s role in navigating one of the Balkans' most difficult periods has not been sufficiently valued within his own country compared to international recognition. He described Gligorov as a figure who bridged two eras: the generation that built the foundations of Macedonian statehood within the federation and the generation that led the country into the world as an independent state. The event also featured the premiere of the documentary film ‘Gligorov from Macedonia’, directed by Nikola T. Kalajdziski and Aristid Filaktov.