English
The tragedy in Kocani left a deep wound in our society. In one night, lives were cut short, destinies changed, and a pain that will remain in the memory of our country for a long time was opened. In those hours, all of Macedonia stood still, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski at the comemoration event today to mark the anniversary of the Kocani nightclub disaster.
This great disaster happened just 8 months after I became Prime Minister. Just 8 months into my governance of the country, the bill for a devastated system that had been destroyed for decades came due. The day of the disaster was not only my hardest day as Prime Minister, but it was the hardest day in my life as a human being. Who is to blame for all this? I am also asking this question, and this must be answered not by some kangaroo court, not by the public, but by the prosecution and the courts. But at the same time, we must also talk about the guilt in creating that system that failed, where for decades and years that wild meat that reached our loved ones has been created, said the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Mickoski and Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski expressed their gratitude to the numerous countries that gave critically needed help to Macedonia and saved lives at a time when our own healthcare system was overwhelmed with the high number of injured young people.
Thanks to the rapid communication with our partners, the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism and the willingness of many countries to help, our patients received medical care in hospitals across Europe. I expressed my sincere gratitude to the governments, embassies, institutions and peoples of friendly countries who lent a hand without hesitation, as well as to the doctors and medical teams. Behind all the diplomatic efforts and expressions of support were precisely those people – the people who, with their knowledge, experience and sacrifice, saved human lives. I also emphasized that friendship has a special weight in moments like these. That is when you best see who a true friend is. Kocani will remember the tragedy, but our country will also remember something else – that when darkness came, our people stood together, and friends stood by us, said Minister Mucunski.