The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a congratulatory note on the occasion of the celebration of May 24th - the Day of the Macedonian and Slavic educators and teachers, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius.

Dear fellow citizens,

Let me congratulate you the state holiday, May 24th- the Day of the Macedonian and Slavic educators and teachers, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius.

Celebrating this great day, we worship the deeds of the holy brothers Constantin-Cyril and Methodius. Creating and expanding the Glagolitic alphabet from Macedonia, Cyril and Methodius transformed the Old Slavic language into the first written language of the Slavic countries, the language used to translate the Holy Scriptures and spread the Christianity among the Slavs. Thus, they actually created a unique communication code that allowed the Slavic peoples to integrate equally in the common European spiritual, cultural and political space. Their students became teachers of the entire Slavic and inseparable part of Europe. What the Old Slavic was about Slavicism, is the modern Macedonian language for our multi-ethnic Macedonian society - a common language that enables equal integration without assimilation of all its members.

The work of the Slavic educators St. Cyril and Methodius should be our guide in building a society worthy of the values that they have left us: to be proud of their heritage, to preserve and respect our own language and our own culture.

Let their name be eternal and let us celebrate the great feast of St. Cyril and Methodius for many years!

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov