It gives me special pleasure to be able to greet you on behalf of the Red Cross of RNM on the day when we commemorate the foundation of our national society and the Blood Donation Day in the Republic of North Macedonia. Celebrations are always important because they give us an opportunity to reflect on the past in order to build on past achievements. We are glad that today we can freely say that we are successfully continuing to implement our humanitarian mission and, together with our volunteers, we continue to provide many service for our fellow citizens in the communities where they live. Also, as a result of the humanity of the citizens of our country, we always try to make our modest contribution and unite humanitarian efforts to improve the well-being of people who have been facing certain challenges as a result of natural disasters and migrations in neighboring countries and in the world.

As an organization, we are constantly investing in modernizing our work and strengthening our network of volunteers and supporters. To our great satisfaction and above all as a result of our work and positive results, we continue to enjoy the trust of our partners, which allows us to constantly be innovative and upgrade, to expand the scope of our services in order to respond to all modern challenges faced by our fellow citizens. We are especially proud that for 78 years the Red Cross remains an organization in our society in which both the young and the elderly identify with our principles, values and humanitarian mission and enable us making a positive contribution in the country, enabling people a more dignified life.

Let me also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our blood donors who have a special place in our organization and make us extremely proud because we continuously achieve excellent results in the field of blood donation. Gratitude and congratulations to our partners – the Institute of Transfusion Medicine and the Ministry of Health for the excellent cooperation and mutual support that allows us all to be proud of the achievements and results in blood donation in our country and the smooth functioning of health institutions through continuous provision of the necessary quantities of blood and blood products.

I would also like to send congratulations and gratitude to our Red Cross branches and the City Red Cross of Skopje for the achieved results and the special care they devote to nurturing and promoting voluntary blood donation in the Republic of North Macedonia. Our results in the field of blood donation motivate us to continue nurturing human values and encouraging national awareness on the importance of blood and voluntary blood donation and solidarity through proper and targeted health-educational and motivational activities.

Humanity and solidarity take many forms and faces and they are never a finished story. They are a challenge to constantly nurture them, to try to be better and more humane. I invite you all to contribute to building a more humane society in which the dignity, health and well-being of our fellow citizens will be most important of all.

Thank you for your attention.