Today, February 26, marks 22 years since former President of Macedonia Boris Trajkovski died in a plane crash near Rotimlje, near Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The tragedy occurred on February 26, 2004, when the government aircraft "Kinger" (Beechcraft King Air) crashed while approaching Mostar airport in severe weather conditions - heavy fog and low cloud cover. Nine people died in the crash - President Trajkovski, four members of his cabinet (Dimka Ilkova-Boshkovic, Risto Blazhevski, Anita Krishan Lozanovska), Foreign Ministry representative Mile Krstevski, two security officers, and two pilots.

The aircraft wreckage was found 24 hours after the crash, in the Matinji Brdo area near the village of Huskovici. The plane was traveling to an international investment conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The investigation by Macedonian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian authorities concluded that the crash was caused by "crew errors during the approach in severe weather conditions" and "certain systemic weaknesses." An international investigation conducted in 2013 reached similar conclusions.

Boris Trajkovski was born on June 25, 1956, in Strumica. He served as the second president of Macedonia from December 15, 1999, until his death. Before his presidential term, he was deputy minister of foreign affairs.

Commemorative events were held today in Skopje, Strumica, and Rotimlje, where family members and official delegations laid flowers at the memorial.