Sunday, April 11, 2010

Macedonian president extends condolences to Poland over plane crash

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on Saturday sent his condolences to Poland over the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski in a plane crash, news from Skopje said.


"On behalf of Macedonia's citizens and myself, I extend my condolences to the Polish people, to the family of President Kaczynski and to the families of all those killed in the plane crash," Ivanov said.


Ivanov said Macedonia has felt the pain of losing a leader and statesman in this manner, saying that the Macedonians still nourish the memories of late President Boris Trajkovski and everything he did for his country.


Macedonian former President Boris Trajkovski died on February 26,2004, when his plane crashed in poor weather on landing in Bosnia, where he was to attend an economic conference.


"I am sure that the citizens of Poland will also nourish the memory of President Kaczynski," Ivanov said in his note of condolences.


Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Polish counterpart Donal Tusk, expressing his condolences over the plane crash.


Gruevski said in the letter that he was shocked and grieved to learn of the death of Lech Kaczysnki and his Polish state delegation in the plane crash.


"This is an irreplaceable loss, first and foremost for the families of deceased, but also for your country," Gruevski.


Also on Saturday, Macedonian government observed one-minute silence before its open session in honor of those killed in the plane crash.


A plane carrying the Polish president crashed in thick fog near the Smolensk airport in western Russia on Saturday, killing all 97 people on board.

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