Unity is the key prerequisite for success, and so as to be more successful in the competition between nations, we must restore unity and restore awareness not of personal interest, but of the common good, President Stevo Pendarovski said Thursday during the “September 8” state award ceremony.

The head of state recalled that on September 8, 1991, using the sovereign right of self-determination, we declared an independent state and joined the cultural competition between nations.

The end of the cold war marked the beginning of that great competition in which many states of central, eastern and southeastern Europe worked hard to build stable and functional democratic institutions and integrate into the world. But even though we started from the same starting position and played according to the rules, in certain periods as a country we faced double standards and biased judges that did not always allow us to evaluate the achievements fairly, said Pendarovski.

According to him, on this difficult path we achieved successes, but we also caused disappointment for the Macedonian citizens. As he said, we often spent our energy in mutual accusations and obstructions, and internally, the biggest challenge we are still facing today is the deep divisions in Macedonian society in our team.

President Pendarovski emphasized that among the rare heroes of Macedonian independence are the athletes who connect us with their successes even when we are deeply divided.