Skopje, 26 February 2024 (MIA) — The 20th anniversary of the tragic death of President Boris Trajkovski, his closest aides and the crew of the plane that crashed was marked at flower-laying ceremonies in Rotimlja near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Skopje; and Strumica.

According to an official press release, a government delegation consisting of Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Kaja Shukova, together with Presidential Cabinet representative Colonel Biljana Blazheska, laid flowers at President Trajkovski's memorial near the site of the plane crash.

High-ranking representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Mostar also paid their respects. Other attendees included Macedonian Members of Parliament, members of North Macedonia's Army, and EUFOR-BiH members. 

"This memorial is not just to commemorate the tragic moment," Culture Minister Kostadinovska Stojcheska said in her address at the event. "This is a reminder for all generations that Macedonia has had and still has virtuous and determined people who, following their vision, their dream, had the courage to look into the future." 

"Today our country is a NATO member and our membership in the European Union is within reach. Trajkovski's vision leaves me convinced that even now he would not hesitate about doing the right thing, despite being well aware that visionaries are doomed to be understood only later," she added.

President Trajkovski's widow Vilma Trajkovska and family members laid flowers at his grave in Skopje's Butel cemetery. 

President Stevo Pendarovski, caretaker Parliament Speaker Jovan Mitreski, and a government delegation consisting of Deputy PM for Good Governance Policies Slavica Grkovska, Minister of Local Self-Government Risto Penov, and Deputy Justice Minister Viktorija Avramovska Madikj also paid their respects.

In Strumica, a government delegation consisting of Additional Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska and State Secretary at Ministry of Local Self-Government Kiril Partalov attended a flower-laying ceremony at the memorial in his honor.

Other attendees included members of the Trajkovski family, friends as well as representatives of the local government, political parties and citizens' associations. 

President Trajkovski died in a plane crash on Feb. 26, 2004, together with his chief press officer Dimka Ilkova Boshkovikj, aides Risto Blazhevski and Anita Krishan Lozanovska, interior ministry official Mile Krstevski and security detail members Ace Bozhinovski and Boris Velinovski. Also killed in the plane crash were the pilot Marko Markovski and copilot Branko Ivanovski. mr/