Year 2006

Home | News | Press Department Archive | Year 2006

The President of the Slovak Republic Offered His Sympathy to the Survivors of the Air Crash Victims

January 20, 2006

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič received with deep sorrow the news of the tragic air crash of the Slovak military plane AN-24 taking a heavy toll of death of 42 Slovak citizens. President Ivan Gašparovič offered his personal compassion and condolence to the victims’ survivors. „What happened is a true tragedy for all of us. People performing their duties of citizens and duties of spirit to preserve peace outside their own country lost their lives. After rescuing lives of others, they lost their own lives,” said President Ivan Gašparovič.“It is probably my most difficult moment ever speaking to public. 42 human lives perished.

These included men who were soldiers looking forward to going home, to their loved ones, after they had fulfilled the difficult tasks of mission as members of the KFOR peace-keeping forces. The crash claimed also lives of the air-crew members, and representatives of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence. First of all, I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to the victims’ survivors – their wives, children, parents and other relatives. The news of their deaths is certainly extraordinarily cruel to them – it came at the time when they were anxiously awaited by their relatives at home, hoping to spend the time to come with them.

They died after completing their mission to secure peace and order in sorely tried Kosovo. They definitely deserve our gratitude and respect for propagating a good reputation of Slovakia in the world. Being the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces, I am first of all struck with grief, but I also feel the strong commitment to investigating the tragedy thoroughly. I will regularly follow the investigation into the crash. I will require to be continuously informed in detail about anything related, about any measures taken so that a similar tragedy could never happen again. The survivors must get damages even though I know too well that this cannot return them the lives of their loved ones.
There is only one man who survived the crash. Believing that our dedicated doctors will do everything possible to save his life, I wish him well.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is more than difficult for me to speak. They were our soldiers, our fellow-citizens but in the first place members of their families. They had been performing their duties, they had been serving their country. My tribute goes out to them,” said in his mourning speech President Ivan Gašparovič.

In his statement of condolence, he further said that also in his position of the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic he would closely monitor the compensation of the crash victims’ survivors.

Printer friendly version