Skopje, 16 March 2026 (MIA) - Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski said Monday the pain from the tragedy at the 'Pulse' nightclub in Kochani will never end, adding that it has been the hardest night of his life. 

In an interview with Alfa TV, Misajlovski reiterated his condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

"The pain will never end. I had the opportunity to be part of the International Conference where this topic was discussed, alongside many doctors, people who helped, as well as many people who discussed the lesson learned from all this and how to act better in future tragedies, incidents related to crises. You know people react differently in times of crisis, the consciousness works differently," said the Minister. 

He stressed that the Army has played a significant role in the wake of the tragedy.

"At the time, in the hours following the tragedy, the Army was on the ground and provided help as much as possible in the ensuing days. There was great mobilization, but unfortunately nothing can bring back a young life lost. It's a tragedy and it's really hard for me to talk about it," the Minister said.

Misajlovski expressed gratitude to everyone who helped deal with the consequences of the tragedy.

Commenting on the moment he learned about the tragedy, the Minister said it was the hardest night of his life, but as Defence Minister he moved swiftly to set up a Crisis HQ and coordinate response.

"As institutions we are obliged to help each other in making the system better, therefore it is necessary to get as many vehicles as possible, to get different systems, to provide funds in different institutions and make sure to provide everything that a country needs in times of tragedy," the Minister added.

Misajlovski pointed out that in the wake of the tragedy there has been intensive coordination between institutions, as well as constant communication with the Red Cross, to which he also expressed gratitude for the engagement and assistance.

Photo: MIA archive