site.btaNorth Macedonia to Mark Republic Day on August 2

The Republic of North Macedonia will be marking Republic Day on August 2 under the motto "The Fight Continues". Celebrations are starting on Thursday evening with a formal opening of academic and cultural meetings entitled "10 Days of the Krushevo Republic".

The event is held traditionally in Krushevo where a delegation led by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski will pay a floral tribute at the grave of Krushevo Republic President Nikola Karev in the Makedonium Monument.

Two major events are commemorated on August 2: the Ilinden (St Elijah's Day) Uprising of 1903, which was organized by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization against the Ottoman Empire and during which a short-lived Krushevo Republic was proclaimed, and the first session of the Anti-Fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM), which is considered the beginning of statehood by the Republic of North Macedonia.

North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska will visit the Monastery of the Venerable Prohor of Pcinja in Serbia where she will be welcomed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The two will hold a meeting.

On August 2, 1944, ASNOM held its first session at the monastery. On the 80th anniversary of the event, Siljanovska will make a speech at the ASNOM memorial complex in the village of Pelince. She will focus on the historic significance of the day and the importance of preserving the national identity and traditions, the government press service in Skopje said.

North Macedonia's Assembly President Afrim Gashi will lay flowers at the monument in Skopje to Metodija Andonov Chento, the first president of the ASNOM Presidium. Republic Day will be celebrated in front of the parliament building in the capital on August 2.

The motto "The Struggle Continues" sends a message that the quest for progress, freedom and prosperity of the Republic of North Macedonia continues, building on the historical foundations and the struggle of its ancestors, the government press service said.

August 2 is a public holiday.