ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener and State Minister Besir Atalay left for Macedonia on Friday to attend the funeral of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski.
President Boris Trajkovski was killed on February 26, 2004 when his plane crashed in bad weather in mountainous southern Bosnia. President Trajkovski was en route to an international investment conference in the western Bosnian city of Mostar, when his plane with six other officials and two pilots went down near the village of Bitonja. There were no survivors in the crash.
The eight victims who died along with Trajkovski were laid to rest yesterday in their hometowns across Macedonia, while intense preparations continued amid tight security in the capital for the president's funeral.
The coffin with Trajkovski's body was placed in the parliament building where thousands of Macedonians came to lay flowers and pay last respects. Trajkovski, 47, was Macedonia's second president since the country became independent in 1991 with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
(UK-AY) 05.03.2004