We want to build young people with real values, integrity and open mind, President Ivanov said at the opening of the World Business Angels Forum, which is held in Istanbul, the Republic of Turkey.

In his address at the Forum, attended by over 1200 participants from 70 countries, the Macedonian President spoke about the goals and values of the School for Young Leaders, which was proclaimed the best socially responsible project in Europe for 2017 by the World Business Angels Forum.

He emphasized that the goal of the School for Young Leaders is to enable the most talented and most successful young people in Macedonia and the region get what they cannot get within the formal education system.

"We intend to create leaders with real values, integrity and open mind. Only open-minded young people will be able to think beyond the grids, find new and innovative solutions on the road to individual and collective success", Ivanov said, adding that the participants of the School have the opportunity to gain interdisciplinary and applied knowledge, practical advice, guidance and mentorship from top world leaders.

Ivanov said that the School for Young Leaders is a start up school for future social leaders of Macedonia that can contribute through networking to positive changes in the society.

"Perhaps the most important thing we want young people to learn is the lesson of moral leadership. It became popular to say that it does not matter whether a political or business leader is moral or not, as long as he does the job well. The ability, not the character, is what matters. But pragmatism without morality leads to short-term solutions with long-term harmful consequences. Leaders without morals are part of the problem, not of the solution", the Macedonian President said.

Ivanov revealed that he fostered the idea of organizing such a School when he was a professor and, thanks to his students, he became President of the Republic of Macedonia and that it is financed by the private sector, being an example of a public-private partnership that invests in the society and the future.

He reminded that over 320 young people from Macedonia and the region have participated in the School for Young Leaders, which is his personal initiative and a project organized under his auspices, as well as over 180 top world lecturers in the field of politics, business, innovation, communications.
In his address, Ivanov also referred to the digital transformation of companies, politics and universities, which, as he said, are part of an unstoppable process of birth of a new paradigm that should offer innovative and creative solutions to the global challenges.

Tonight, within the World Business Angels Forum, the Macedonian President will be awarded the World Leadership Award on the occasion of the proclamation of the "School of Young Leaders' for the best socially responsible project in Europe for 2017.

The World Business Angels Forum is an international organization that facilitates access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, innovators and start-up businesses from the very beginning, with the ultimate goal of creating jobs and greater social justice. Over 120 speakers from 30 countries are participating in this investment forum, which is also attended by representatives of many world companies.

The Presidents of the Republic of Macedonia and of the Republic of Bulgaria, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov and Mr. Rumen Radev, at today's meeting in Skopje, agreed to initiate the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries.

At the joint press conference after the meeting, President Ivanov said that after signing the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, which will greatly contribute to the development of the overall bilateral cooperation, it would be good for Skopje and Sofia to sign a strategic partnership agreement, as Macedonia has with the United States and Turkey.

"The migrant crisis showed that cooperation and exchange of information in the field of defense, security and intelligence is needed. That is why we will initiate the signing of a strategic partnership agreement. We also discussed the new EU enlargement strategy, which is largely a merit of Bulgaria. Realistic are the possibilities during the Bulgarian presidency, Macedonia to start EU membership negotiations and it is realistic to expect a NATO membership invitation at the Summit this summer. I welcome the initiative of Bulgaria and the demonstrated commitment as our first neighbor to directly support the European and Euro-Atlantic integrations and thank through President Radev for everything Bulgaria has done so far for Macedonia's progress in these EU integration processes, President Ivanov said.

The Bulgarian President Radev assessed as very important the initiative of signing a strategic partnership agreement, adding that he would speak of it with the Government in Sofia and since such an agreement would increase security of all stakeholders in the region.

"The Treaty of good neighborly relations with a country that is a member of the European Union and NATO is the strongest proof that there are no provisions for irredentism and territorial pretensions in the Macedonian Constitution, President Ivanov said, and reminded that Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name.
President Radev said that the Treaty of Good Neighborliness should not only remain on paper, but be an unstoppable process that will be constantly promoted.

"Bulgaria has always been one of the strongest supporters of Macedonia for the EU and NATO. But there is still much to be done in various spheres, and Bulgaria is ready to help Macedonia", Radev said.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations between Macedonia and Greece for resolving the name dispute, the Bulgarian president said Sofia supports a solution to the name dispute between Skopje and Athens that will not include territorial parts of Bulgaria and will not affect third parties.

The Bulgarian position is clear, the name dispute with Greece should not contain a geographical determinant that includes territorial parts of the Republic of Bulgaria, President Radev said, responding to a journalist question and stressed that Bulgaria does not plan to impose any sanctions on Macedonia in regard to its European and Euro-Atlantic integrations regarding the name negotiations, and added that this issue is to be solved between the two sovereign states, under the United Nations auspices.

President Radev added that these negotiations also concern Bulgaria, but noted that he believes that a solution acceptable for both Macedonia and Greece will be found, which will not affect third parties.

President Ivanov said that the negotiations on the problem that Greece has with the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia will continue in the UN, and that the Macedonian side will strive to find a solution that will not be detrimental to third parties and will not involve them in the process.

The Presidents of the Republic of Macedonia and of the Republic of Bulgaria, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov and Mr. Rumen Radev, at today's meeting in Skopje, agreed to initiate the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries.

At the joint press conference after the meeting, President Ivanov said that after signing the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, which will greatly contribute to the development of the overall bilateral cooperation, it would be good for Skopje and Sofia to sign a strategic partnership agreement, as Macedonia has with the United States and Turkey.

"The migrant crisis showed that cooperation and exchange of information in the field of defense, security and intelligence is needed. That is why we will initiate the signing of a strategic partnership agreement. We also discussed the new EU enlargement strategy, which is largely a merit of Bulgaria. Realistic are the possibilities during the Bulgarian presidency, Macedonia to start EU membership negotiations and it is realistic to expect a NATO membership invitation at the Summit this summer. I welcome the initiative of Bulgaria and the demonstrated commitment as our first neighbor to directly support the European and Euro-Atlantic integrations and thank through President Radev for everything Bulgaria has done so far for Macedonia's progress in these EU integration processes, President Ivanov said.

The Bulgarian President Radev assessed as very important the initiative of signing a strategic partnership agreement, adding that he would speak of it with the Government in Sofia and since such an agreement would increase security of all stakeholders in the region.

"The Treaty of good neighborly relations with a country that is a member of the European Union and NATO is the strongest proof that there are no provisions for irredentism and territorial pretensions in the Macedonian Constitution, President Ivanov said, and reminded that Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name.

President Radev said that the Treaty of Good Neighborliness should not only remain on paper, but be an unstoppable process that will be constantly promoted.

"Bulgaria has always been one of the strongest supporters of Macedonia for the EU and NATO. But there is still much to be done in various spheres, and Bulgaria is ready to help Macedonia", Radev said.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations between Macedonia and Greece for resolving the name dispute, the Bulgarian president said Sofia supports a solution to the name dispute between Skopje and Athens that will not include territorial parts of Bulgaria and will not affect third parties.

The Bulgarian position is clear, the name dispute with Greece should not contain a geographical determinant that includes territorial parts of the Republic of Bulgaria, President Radev said, responding to a journalist question and stressed that Bulgaria does not plan to impose any sanctions on Macedonia in regard to its European and Euro-Atlantic integrations regarding the name negotiations, and added that this issue is to be solved between the two sovereign states, under the United Nations auspices.

President Radev added that these negotiations also concern Bulgaria, but noted that he believes that a solution acceptable for both Macedonia and Greece will be found, which will not affect third parties.

President Ivanov said that the negotiations on the problem that Greece has with the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia will continue in the UN, and that the Macedonian side will strive to find a solution that will not be detrimental to third parties and will not involve them in the process.

Претседателот на Република Македонија, д-р Ѓорге Иванов денеска ја посети црквата „Св. Атанасиј" во Тетово, по повод одбележувањето на големиот христијански празник Св. Атанасиј Велики.

Во црквата се одржа света божествена литургија со која чиноначалствуваа Протојереј-Ставрофор Мирко Станкоски и протојереј Дарко Наумоски којшто на присутните верници им посака мир, слога, љубов и благосостојба.

По повод празникот беше одржана и церемонија на осветување на празничниот колач, а потоа беа избрани кумовите за идната година.

Претседателот Иванов на присутните верници им го честита празникот Св. Атанасиј Велики и им посака здравје, радост и бериќет.

Во црквата на тетовското Кале која датира од крајот на осмиот век, традиционално се прославува христијанскиот празник Св. Атанасиј Велики. Според различни историски извори, црквата „Свети Атанасиј" претставува еден од најстарите христијански црковни споменици во овој дел од Македонија.