A large share in this act had the Macedonian emigrants in Germany, Sweden, Norway, USA, Canada, Australia. Macedonians outside strongly supported the centuries-old idea of the Macedonian people for their own independent state. I must mention that with their immense moral support, as well as financial support and enthusiasm, was established VMRO DPMNE, the party that is most deserving for an independent and sovereign Macedonia.
After the referendum, the world's leading media came out stating that the majority of voters were in favor of independence of Macedonia and that it would mean a step closer to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
"... What is mainly required with this referendum is an affirmative approaches to that age-old struggle of the Macedonian nation, which was once solved with guns and blood. Today free and with our own cultural emancipation and national consciousness, we are determined for creating an independent and sovereign state and then to approach with our legal legitimacy, liberated from all allegiance philosophy and inferiority in negotiations with the parties, which are the six republics of Yugoslavia and no otherwise and it gave us the right to say that our sovereignty and our independence are seen only as an incentive motivation, inspiration and legal legitimacy to get in an alliance with sovereign states. Hence our idea and we want to build a new community of sovereign Yugoslav states based on these principles and this view. But if that doesn't happen, then the historical obligation and destiny will makes us to approach ourselves to walk trough our own sovereign state, ie all its segments in legal, political, economic system and it will give us a chance to establish partnership with all who have an interest to be with us and Europe is that home that will integrate and connect us together .... "- part of the speech of the academician Nicola Kljusev, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia.
"Dear citizens of Macedonia, allow me tonight to congratulate you and all citizens of Macedonia the free, sovereign and independent Macedonia". With these words, 25 years ago then Macedonian president Kiro Gligorov addressed the citizens which spontaneously gathered in the square "Macedonia" to celebrate the successful referendum.
The referendum was preceded by a Declaration of Independence at the first multi party Macedonian Parliament on January 25, 1991.
Formally the will of the people for independent state was confirmed with the declaration of acceptance of the referendum results on September 18, 1991 in the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia.
The next important step in the strengthening of the state was the adoption of the new Constitution on 17 November 1991. Majority of the Albanian ethnic community boycotted the referendum and Albanian MEPs in Parliament didn't support the new constitution.
Ten years later, the Constitution was supplemented after the 2001 conflict and signing of the Framework Agreement (Ramkoven dogovor).
After the failure of the Conference on the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Yugoslavia, the key place takes the Declaration of dissolution of Yugoslavia, adopted by the Council of Ministers of the European Union on 16 December 1991 which called on Yugoslav republics to declare whether they want to become independent and internationally recognized states.
Macedonia was among four of the six former Yugoslav republics, along with Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia who voted in favor in the Declaration.
Although only Slovenia and Macedonia received positive reviews from the specially Badinter Commission that satisfy the requirements for independence, the European Community in mid-January, 1992, recognized only Slovenia and Croatia.
In that period, ie on 15 January 1992, Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the statehood of Macedonia. Subsequent were decisions to establish diplomatic relations by Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
International legal status of the state was definitely confirmed on April 8, 1993 whenwith acclamation at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Macedonia was admitted as the 181st full-fledged UN member.
However, because of opposition and pressure from Greece, which doesn't accept our constitutional name, the UN accession was carried out under interim reference Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
|The last years were marked by the process of adapting legislation harmonization with the European Union and NATO.
Congratulations and happy Independence day!
