Dear representatives of the families of our fallen peace keepers,
Distinguished EUFOR Commander, General Villalian,
Dear Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, General Stojanovski,
Special envoy of the European Union to the Republic of Macedonia, Ambassador Fouéré,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished guests, dear friends,

Allow me on behalf of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Macedonia and on my personal behalf to thank you for your attendance today, here, in the Army Hall of the Republic of Macedonia.
Today, we are united by the sorrow and pride in marking the posthumous awarding of the EUFOR medals to the families of our tragically killed peace keepers in the helicopter accident dd. 12 January, 2008. The loss of our 11 peace keepers, only a step away from their homecoming, after the successful completion of their mission in the ALTHEA operation is the first, great loss for the Republic of Macedonia in its contribution to the global security and world peace. Abysmal and invaluable is the sorrow we are again evoking today, however it is still a cause for pride.
We are here today, together, in order to mark the decoration of our fallen heroes with the medal of the European Security and Defence Policy. With this medal the 11 peace keepers were ordained by the Commander of the EUFOR, Major General Martin Ignacio Villalail, upon the approval of the Secretary General and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Mr. Javier Solana. The EUFOR medals they were decorated with immediately prior to their return to the Republic of Macedonia, confirmed their contribution to the European Security and Defence Policy and the successfully conducted mission as part of the EU-led ALTHEA Military Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today’s ceremony, in addition to the confirmation of replaceability of the material, is a confirmation of the helpless irreplaceability of human life. Athwart to the restoring of the early loss of the lives of our 11 peace keepers, today, thanks to the human desire, understanding and cooperation we have here with us the medals destroyed in the helicopter accident. Having said that, I would like to express our gratitude to the Commander of EUFOR, Major General Villalian, for his understanding and assistance in the recreation of the medals for our fallen peace keepers.
The opportunity for their posthumous awarding today is a confirmation of the irreplaceability of human life and stirs up the great sorrow and loss, but at the same time it reinforces the greatness of our 11 peace keepers and the mission that they have completed. Today, the Republic of Macedonia shows its mourning, but it also shows its resoluteness in the determination to continue. The Republic of Macedonia continues to contribute to the Region, Europe and beyond – to the global security, peace and stability. The Republic of Macedonia confirms that it wants and it deserves to be a part of NATO and the European Union.
Dear families of the fallen peace keepers, on this occasion I would like to underline that the contribution of the 11 peace keepers to the EU-led ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, should continue to be a cause for pride for you personally, for the institution that they represented and for the Republic of Macedonia as a whole. This day cannot ease the sorrow nor return what you have lost, but recalling the contribution your loved ones gave to peace and security, this day is a confirmation that it is the deeds that make man immortal.
Thank you.