Dear citizens,

It is with great sadness that I received the news of the death of our director, writer and professor Ljubisha Georgiveski.

Although I do not have the appropriate words that can describe how grave the loss is, allow me to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to his family and to the whole Macedonian public in these sad moments. With the death of Ljubisha Georgievski we lost a great intellectual, artist and a patriot. Through his artistic work he left an indelible mark on the Macedonian theatre and film inaugurating himself as a creative and thoughtful bard of the Macedonian art and culture. There are more than 160 theatre plays and several motion pictures behind him, which withstood the criticism of time. Ljubisha Georgievski, with his lucidity, creative courage and human virtue was our pride and inspiration.

Throughout his exceptionally rich political and diplomatic career he responsibly and creatively played out his roles of President of the Assembly and Ambassador to Sofia and Belgrade where he vigorously defended the state interests of the Republic of Macedonia. As a member of my Council on Foreign Relations he provided wise advices and reflections on the key issues of the Republic of Macedonia.

Also, through his artistic and social engagements, Georgievski fought for the Macedonian cause remaining faithful to his values, opinions and beliefs until the end of his life.

We will be eternally thankful for everything he has done for the Republic of Macedonia and for the legacy he left behind, one that will remain a guide and a light for the future generations.

May he rest in peace, and eternal glory unto him.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Andrzej Duda within the framework of the Climate Change Conference COP 24 that is taking place in Katowice.

Opinions were exchanged on the overall bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Poland at the meeting, and it was concluded that both countries promote friendly and constructive relations with stable political dialogue.

President Ivanov expressed his gratitude for the overall support of the Republic of Poland since the establishment of diplomatic relations which mark their 25 anniversary this year, as well as for the use of our constitutional name in the bilateral relations.

Pointing out that the Republic of Poland is an important and proven partner and supporter of the Macedonian integration in EU and NATO, the Macedonian President expressed interest for further promotion of the bilateral cooperation through an exchange of high-level visits.

Opinions and information on the migrant and refugee crisis were exchanged at the meeting, where the Macedonian President expressed his gratitude for the assistance the Republic of Poland provided. In this context, the Macedonian President emphasized that the Polish contingent, as part of the foreign police forces, provides a significant support of the Macedonian security forces in their task of controlling and suppressing the attempts at illegal crossings of our southern border.

President Duda indicated that the Polish support for the Republic of Macedonia, both for our Euro-Atlantic integrations and the migrant crisis will continue in the future.

At the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the overall condition in the region, in the context of its European and Euro-Atlantic perspective.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov sent a letter of condolence to George W. Bush, former President of the United States of America, on the death of his father, George H. W. Bush, the former President of the United States of America.

Distinguished Mr. President,

We were deeply saddened to hear the news of your father's passing, the Honorable George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States of America.

On this sad occasion, allow me to convey, on my behalf, as well as on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, our deepest condolences and sincere regret for your loss.

The name of President Bush will remain deeply engraved in the memory of the Macedonian citizens. The citizens of the Republic of Macedonia will remember him as a great friend and as a supporter of our country in a time when we were facing serious challenges and great temptations. The United States of America, under the leadership of George H. W. Bush supported the decision of the Macedonian citizens on self-determination and declaration of an independent and sovereign country. That policy was further developed under your leadership when you reached a decision, on principle, on recognizing the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia. The Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian citizens never forget their friends.

We remain grateful for his commitment to preserve and promote the friendship and the cooperation between our two countries and our peoples.

May he rest in peace.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov 

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, hosted a farewell meeting for the Ambassador of Montenegro to the Republic of Macedonia, H. E. Mr. Predrag Mitrović.

At the meeting, both interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the overall cooperation on bilateral and multilateral level, as well as with the sincere friendship and excellent political relations between the Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro. It was mutually concluded that no open issues exist between the Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro and that both countries are committed to promotion of good neighborliness and mutual support and assistance on the way towards the Euro-Atlantic integrations.

Ambassador Mitrović expressed his gratitude for the hospitality he had received throughout his mandate and expressed satisfaction with the overall cooperation.
Thanking the Ambassador for his engagement and excellent cooperation, President Ivanov wished the Ambassador Mitrović every success in his future assignments.

Distinguished citizens,

It was with great pain and sadness that I received the news on the death of the renowned Macedonian historian and philologist, academician Blazhe Ristovski. Although there are no words to compensate the loss in these sad moments, allow me to express my most sincere and deepest condolences. Academician Blazhe Ristovski spent his entire working life in scientific research of the historical and cultural development of the idea on the creation of a free Macedonian state.

He published several books and hundreds of scientific articles on the development of the Macedonian cultural and national thought, whereby the life and work of the most significant Macedonian cultural activists, such as Krste Petkov Misirkov, were brought closer to us.

As Vice-President of the first government of independent Republic of Macedonia, he set an example on how to defend the state interests. He was an example of a committed intellectual who had the courage to speak of even the most difficult issues for the Republic of Macedonia.

This is enormous loss for you, for the scientific and academic world, but also for me and the Republic of Macedonia. We will miss his wise advices filled with profound thoughtfulness of the Macedonian cause.

We will be eternally grateful for the work he left behind, for everything he wrote, created and inspired.

May he rest in peace!

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

Distinguished citizens,

It was with great sadness that I received the news of the death of our playwright, Goran Stefanovski. Although there are no appropriate words that can compensate for the loss in these sad moments, allow me to express my deepest and most sincere condolences to his family and to the entire public. With the premature death of Goran Stefanovski we lost an outstanding dramatist, and also a great erudite, thinker and foremost, a wonderful person who left an indelible mark on our cultural and social life through his work.

Goran Stefanovski was our most famous and most produced contemporary playwright, whose plays left a lasting imprint on our theatre and literature, depicting a unique lucid panorama of our life and worldview. Beside his remarkable dramatic work, his television achievements will also live on, especially the cult TV show "Bushava azbuka".

We are eternally grateful for the work he left behind, for everything he wrote, created and inspired.

May he rest in peace.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov