The Foreign Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, delivered an address at the commemoration on the occasion of 27 January – the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day of remembering and paying respects to more than six million innocent children, women and men, including 7.144 Macedonian Jews, who lost their lives in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, and other death camps. “It is our civilizational duty to fight, constantly and uncompromisingly, turning remembrance into action, against relativization of evil, distortion of history, denial of facts and the truth about the Holocaust. We have be vocal and say ‘NO!’ loud and clear – to antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance”, Osmani emphasised. Speaking of the importance of the Holocaust, as a tragedy that must not be forgotten, and noting that today should not be the only day when we remember the Holocaust, Osmani stressed: “We should all, both together and individually, work on spreading universal values, strengthening social cohesion, investing in education and youth, on developing and raising awareness about the value of existence and respect for all differences in a pluralistic society.” The commemoration, which was held as an online event, featured addresses of the President of the Assembly of the Jewish Community in the Republic of North Macedonia, Mrs. RadojkaHelman-Denkovska, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mrs. Anke Holstein, the non-resident Ambassador of the State of Israel, Mr. Dan Oryan, as well as FahriHiseini, the coordinator of the regional project of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam “History – Lessons for the Present”, from the Youth Educational Forum in Skopje. 27 January is the day of liberation of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenauconcentration camp, and with the United Nations Resolution of 1 November 2005, it has been designated as the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, which the Republic of North Macedonia, as responsible and respected member of the international community, has traditionally observed for many years.

Following the meeting with his Montenegrin colleague DjordjeRadulovic, Minister Osmani continued his official visit to Podgorica with meetings with the President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanović, the Montenegrin Parliament Speaker AleksaBechic, Prime Minister ZdravkoKrivokapic and Deputy Prime Minister DritanAbazovic. The meetings emphasized the close and partner relations between the two countries, regarding which it was underlined that there are no open issues. These political relations should be an encouragement for a productive and proliferate economic cooperation, for which there is both interest and need, interlocutors reiterated. Further emphasis was placed on the cooperation of the two ally-countries in the framework of the Euro-Atlantic cooperation mechanismsand especially in the process of integration of the European Union. “The two countries are advocating a strong common goal, which is making special efforts for speedy implementation of the necessary reforms on the path to complete integration in the Union. On that path I would like to emphasise the important cooperation with Montenegro and especially to voice my gratitude for its firm and unreserved support for our strategic goals and commitments”, stressed the Minister, noting that the membership of North Macedonia and Montenegro in the European Union will mean opening new perspectives for our countries and citizens, as well as consolidation of the European perspective of the whole region.

The Foreign Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, during his official visit to Montenegro, met with his Montenegrin counterpart DjordjeRadulovic. The meeting reaffirmed the traditional and friendly relations between the two countries, and emphasized the readiness to find tangible forms for enrichment of sector cooperation, particularly in the real sector – economy, trade, tourism, etc. “It is always good to be among friends, visiting a friendly country, and North Macedonia and Montenegro are a good example of that. I consider today’s visit to Montenegro important both for our bilateral relations, which I also regard as excellent, and for the whole region, which is still burdened with serious challenges, especially its European future”, emphasized Osmani, thanking his colleague Radulovic for the pleasant hospitality during his first visit to Podgorica. In addition to bilateral relations, the meeting also discussed topics of cooperation within the NATO Alliance, as well as the completion of the European perspectives of the two countries. The EU enlargement process, or, more precisely – completion or unification of the continent in one union – has no alternative. When it comes to Western Balkan countries’ EU membership, the question is not ‘if’, but ‘how and when’!” Osmani emphasized. Minister Osmani’s visit to Podgorica continues with his meetings with the President of the country, Milo Djukanović, the Montenegrin Parliament Speaker AleksaBechic, Prime Minister ZdravkoKrivokapic and Deputy Prime Minister DritanAbazovic.