Kiro Gligorov, the first president of independent Macedonia, was buried on Tuesday in the Arbored Walk of the Greats at Skopje's Butel Cemetery.
President Gjorge Ivanov, Chief of ARM General Staff, Goranco Koteski, representatives of the diplomatic corps, former and present high-ranking political officials and academicians paid their respect at the chapel in Butel Cemetery.
In accordance with his last wish, a civil funeral service was held without state and church honors. Family members, friends, associates, SDSM members led by its leader Branko Crvenkovski as well as officials of other political parties were part of the procession leading to his eternal resting place.
Earlier in the day, commemorative sessions were held in the Parliament and in the headquarters of SDSM.
A book of condolences has been opened at the presidential villa, which was signed by President Gjorge Ivanov, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and Premier Nikola Gruevski.
The book of condolences is open for the citizens on Tuesday and Wednesday. Book of condolences have been also opened at the President's national offices in Skopje and Tetovo.
Telegrams of condolences have been sent by numerous statesmen, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Kiro Gligorov died on January 1 in Skopje. He was 94. Born on 3 May 1917 in Stip, Gligorov served two presidential terms between 1991 and 1999. On 27 January 1991, he was elected president of the Republic of Macedonia by the Parliament. He secured his second mandate at presidential elections held in 1994. Gligorov was at the helm of the country until 1999.
After retiring, Kiro Gligorov was active as an author. He penned several books - "Macedonia Is All We Have" (2001), "Assassination - Day After" (2002), "Turbulent Times: The Republic of Macedonia a Reality in the Balkans" (2004) and "All Yugoslav (Economic) Reforms" (2006). He also founded the Kiro Gligorov Foundation.
Kiro Gligorov was the oldest Macedonian politician. Upon completing his second presidential term in 1999, he was 82. In 2000, he entered the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest head of state in the world.
In 1991, he was at the helm of the country as it was gaining independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which Gligorov held high-ranking posts. On 8 April 1993, Gligorov addressed the United Nations in Macedonian for the first time as the country became the 181st UN member.
On 3 October 1995, Gligorov survived an assassination attempt after a car-bomb exploded in Skopje's downtown. Neither its masterminds nor its perpetrators were ever sought by Macedonian police which raised numerous questions as to who was behind the plot.
He is the first recipient of The Order of the Republic of Macedonia in 2005.