ISTANBUL: The 33rd anniversary of independence was celebrated on Sunday in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The ceremony organized by the North Macedonian government with the slogan 'Together we struggle, together we will succeed' at the Philharmonic Hall in the capital started with the national anthem of the country. The ceremony was attended by North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, as well as ministers, MPs, politicians, diplomats, military representatives and other guests. In his speech, Mickoski said that today 'reminds them of their long journey towards freedom.' Commenting on their accomplishments and their future goals, Mickoski said: 'We need to reach a general agreement to realize our strategic goal of EU membership. We have no alternative, there is no other real possibility. The people's desire to join the Union is because they want better standards, higher criteria, more money and a regulated system.' Mickoski also asked for support from the opposition for this achievement , noting that their goal is to move away from ethnic conflicts and divisions. More events are being organized throughout the week to mark the independence anniversary. An independence referendum was held in the country on Sept. 8, 1991 and 95.3% of the people voted in favor of the country's independence. Source: Anadolu Agency