The assassination of the first president of independent Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov, was initiated at a moment when the country was definitely leaving the "orbit of Belgrade" and setting its course towards Euro-Atlantic integration, said the author of the book "The Skopje Assassination", Zoran Dorevski, at the promotion of his work.
According to Dorevski, the analysis in the book attempts to determine the inspirers, motives and goals of the assassination, as well as the moment when the decision to carry it out was made. He points out that in the work, the assassination is elaborated through four phases: the decision to liquidate, organization and logistical preparation, the execution itself and the so-called post-assassination period.
Particular attention, as he said, is paid to the fourth phase, i.e. the period after the assassination, when its consequences on society are perceived and the phenomenon of "silencing witnesses" appears.
"In our assassination, I found eight people who died in the first two years after the assassination. Most of them in 1998, when the second investigation was resumed by Public Prosecutor Stavre Dzikov and the new government. I tried to explain why these people were silenced, what their knowledge was, how they could have contributed to solving the case, and why they survived the assassination, but not the post-assassination period," Dorevski said.
He assessed that the Skopje assassination represents an extremely complex case with a broader geopolitical context and that it differs from most political assassinations in that multiple factors were involved.
According to his analysis, the assassination occurred during a period when Macedonia was joining the OSCE, signing the Partnership for Peace program with NATO, and concluding agreements with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, processes that meant political, security, and economic stabilization of the country.
"The assassination occurs at a moment when Macedonia is definitely leaving Belgrade's orbit and heading in its own direction, and that direction is European integration. That's when the moment when someone makes the decision to carry out the assassination begins to become problematic," the author explains.
Speaking about the possible organizers, he emphasized that there are no direct written orders for any assassination, which is why conclusions are based on an analysis of clues, events, and consequences.
Former Public Prosecutor Stavre Dzikov, who addressed the promotion of the book "The Skopje Assassination" in writing, assessed that the work represents a serious research contribution to one of the most significant and controversial events in recent Macedonian history.
In his address, Dzikov noted that he and Dorevski have collaborated for more than two decades and that the case of the assassination of President Kiro Gligorov was a central topic of much of their conversations and analyses.
"It is interesting that the central topic of most of our meetings and conversations was precisely the 1995 case. Over the years, we have analyzed in detail the reasons for the failure of the initial, but also the renewed investigation," Dzikov states.
The former prosecutor adds that he made all his knowledge and data related to the investigation available to the author, assessing that the book is distinguished by its deep analytical skills and serious research approach.
According to him, the author conceived and realized the book as a complex mosaic construction in which events are connected carefully, in detail, and comprehensively.
He estimates that the work will remain as a lasting testimony and a valuable contribution to Macedonian historiography and research literature.
The promotion was attended by a large number of citizens, university professors, former politicians, and representatives of the academic community. Those present had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the findings and analyses contained in the book.
