Bitola, 14 November 2025 (MIA) - The European Union is primarily a project of peace and prosperity. It can exist only if we continue to work on it together and never forget, said German Ambassador Petra Drexler and French Ambassador Christophe Le Rigoleur at the observance of Armistice Day in Bitola on Friday.

The ambassadors said the commemoration, which took place at the French military cemetery, celebrated victory and peace, but also paid homage to those perished in wars.

"By jointly commemorating this armistice, we observe the strength of reconciliation and European solidarity, which has ensured the continent's second renewal after World War II," said Ambassador Le Rigoleur.

Ambassador Drexler said the Bitola cemetery and its 6,000 graves serves as a reminder of the price paid by soldiers and civilians, regardless of their nationality.

"The Macedonian front holds enormous significance for the German memory because it signaled the end of the horrific war that claimed 17 million victims across the globe between 1914-1918. The fact that I am standing here today with my French colleague is poignant after the suffering that Germans caused its neighbors, Europe and the globe during the two world wars," said Drexler.

Delegations of embassies from a number of European countries laid wreaths, as did Bitola Mayor Toni Konjanovski and various local civic associations.

Photo: MIA