Skopje, 17 August 2026 (MIA) - The Army's artillery battalion fired an honorary 10-gun salute from six artillery pieces at the Skopje-based Ilinden barracks at 7 pm on Monday, ahead of August 18 - Army Day and events to celebrate its 34th anniversary. 

"Let the cannons echo our honor," Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski posted on Facebook. 

To celebrate its 34th anniversary, the Army is organizing several events on Monday and Tuesday in Skopje, Shtip and Ohrid, ahead of August 18 - Army Day. The central event on Army Day will be held Tuesday at the Water Training Camp in Ohrid, starting at 11 am, with top military and state officials in attendance.

The Army's 34th anniversary was also marked at the Jane Sandanski barracks in Shtip on Monday, with a review of the Army's 2nd Infantry Battalion and other army units. 

August 18 was chosen as Army Day to commemorate the August 18, 1943, formation of the Mirche Acev Battalion on Mount Slavej. It is considered the first organized military formation in Macedonia in WWII.

The formation of the country's modern army began in 1992, when then-President Kiro Gligorov and the leadership of the Yugoslav People's Army signed an agreement on the relocation of federal troops from the territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

The army is now part of the NATO collective security system, after the Republic of North Macedonia became the alliance's 30th member in March 2020.

Photo: Facebook / Vlado Misajlovski / General Staff of the Army