The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov today, within the official visit to the Republic of Albania, held talks with representatives of the Macedonian national minority in the Republic of Albania.

President Ivanov called on Macedonians in Albania and the leadership of the political party “Macedonian Alliance for European Integration” (MAEI) to unite in order to be able to ensure their minority rights and to improve their living standard in this neighbouring country, where local elections are to be held in May, while the census of the population is scheduled for November.

Representatives from Mala Prespa, Golo Brdo and Gora, places in Albania mostly populated by Macedonian minority, conveyed their problems to President Ivanov and expressed satisfaction that their issue was discussed at the highest level for the first time

The visit of the Macedonian President for us is crucial and the fact that talks were held with the Prime Minister and President of Albania to discuss openly the problems of Albanian Macedonians, recognised only in Mala Prespa, in the municipality of Pustec. Those outside of this municipality are not registered as Macedonians and do not enjoy any right. Hopefully, these bilateral meetings will finally solve the issue and Macedonians from Golo Brdo and Gora will be recognised as Macedonians by official authorities in Albania and enjoy the rights of the Macedonians in Mala Prespa, stated after the meeting Edmond Temelko - President of MAEI and Mayor of the municipality of Pustec.


Vasil Sterjovski, Director of TV Kristal from Korca, said that the President urged Macedonians in Albania to be united over their party, as a way to obtain their rights. Only by being politically engaged in Albania, we will manage to become integrated in the institutions and by securing posts in the local authority and MP seats, we will have the chance to raise issues at economic and national level, Sterjovski said. He commended that the Albanian President Bamri Topi for the first time discussed the minority issue. President Topi also for the first time expressed his opinion concerning the census in Albania, something we consider an encouragement for all minorities. It is considered positive since President Topi condemned ultra-nationalists who organize on a daily basis demonstrations and refuse to have a census with an ethnic section in the form, not only for Macedonians, but also for other minorities, being scared that Albania would become a multiethnic state, stated Sterjovski.
At the meeting, the talks also focused on the issue involving the border crossing point Dzepiste - Trebiste near Golo Brdo and the construction of a road, which is to solve infrastructure problems – due to this, people are isolated in winter time. The problem is mostly in the part of Albania, involving a road of 20 km. In the part of Macedonia, the section is very small and Macedonia has already fulfilled its obligation. Thus, Albanian citizens will have to travel only 3 km to be in Macedonia, instead of travelling about 80 km to the nearest border crossing point. The conditions are very difficult because there is no infrastructure in the area of Golo Brdo and therefore the Macedonian population has moved from there to other cities in Albania. Hence, most important for us is the border crossing point  Dzepiste - Trebiste, which will solve all the troubles in that region, said Edmond Osmani, Vice President of MAEI  in charge of the party branch in Golo Brdo.


Road infrastructure, as a problem, was also discussed at yesterday's talks that President Ivanov had with Albania's state officials, because it is vital for free flow of people, commodities and services and for promotion of Macedonian products on the Albanian market. Macedonians in Albania also welcomed the initiative of turning the Macedonian Language Study Program into a Department at the University of Tirana, something that was promised to President Ivanov by Prime Minister Berisha. The Lecturer, Ms. Valentina Nestor, said that this would be beneficial for the Macedonians for the preservation of the language as most important feature of their identity. The Study Program was established 15 years ago and currently 73 students study Macedonian language as an optional subject.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov pays two-day official visit to the Republic of Albania, upon an invitation of the Albanian President Bamir Topi.

The existing good political relations between Macedonia and Albania should be supplemented by more intensive cooperation in the economic sector, which is currently lagging behind. Exploitation of potentials is a future priority, which is conditioned by proper infrastructure enabling free movement of people, commodities and services, assessed today in Tirana President Ivanov and President Topi.

In the context of infrastructure, the significance of Corridor 8 and the necessity for greater efforts in this regard was emphasized. Concerning the border crossing point Golo Brdo, President Ivanov said that Macedonia has accomplished its duty, whereas President Topi assessed the delay in the road works on the Albanian side as a technical issue.


Both interlocutors referred to the issue of minorities and good neighbourly relations. President Topi said that the Macedonian minority in Albania is considered integrated and enjoys all rights in line with the Constitution and the international conventions, whereas the country has been positively assessed by the Council of Europe. The Albanian people and institutions are cautious regarding this process and will encourage people to freely declare themselves. We will not allow any ultra-nationalist to deform this process, added President Topi.

President Ivanov said the communities should represent a bridge linking the countries and that Macedonia is an exceptional example of respecting the rights of the ethnic communities in the region. I would be overjoyed if the Framework Agreement principles are observed in all countries from the region. We all aspire towards Europe, but we have to create Europe in our countries too, said President Ivanov, recommending the politicians to act in a European manner and leave their Balkan attitude behind. As regards the promotion of the rights of the minorities, President Ivanov opened the issue the Macedonian Language Study Program to become Macedonian Language Department at the University in Tirana.



Presidents Ivanov and Topi also stressed the countries’ common interests for EU and NATO Integration. President Ivanov thanked Albania, being a member of the Alliance, for its efforts in promoting Macedonia’s accession. The two countries signed today an agreement on cooperation and support on the road to the EU.


President Ivanov had a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Sali Berisha. At the meeting, the good political relations and the need for boosting the economic ties were reiterated.

The twenty-eight years old Nikola Zlatanov, holder of Master’s degree and a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, won the award “the 2010 Youngest Scientist”, awarded by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, in recognition of high-level scientific achievements.

Long lasting and most worthy investment is the investment in education and science. The future of our science lies in the duly support of all young people dealing with science and in the verification of their accomplishments. Therefore, as President of the Republic of Macedonia, through the selection process and by awarding the title "The Youngest Scientist”, I would like to give a contribution and support to the development of the young scientific thought, said the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, at the awarding ceremony.


The President stressed that science and new ideas are an opportunity for our citizens to compete equally with the rest of the world because they do not recognize boundaries, as proven by the winner of this award. Ideas do not recognize limits, smaller or larger countries, developed or less developed economies, richer or poorer, more powerful or weak states. No one can restrict or deprive us of the natural right to liberty and creative thought. Hence, our citizens can equally compete in skills, knowledge, creativity and innovation with the rest of the world, said the Macedonian President. President Ivanov stressed that he is glad that Zlatanov chose to continue his work in Macedonia after his PhD studies in Canada and expressed hope that this example would be followed by other young scientists by making a decision, as he said, to create under the Macedonian sun.


Nikola Zlatanov, after receiving the award, said that he wishes an academic front to be opened in Macedonia by increasing the number of scientific publications in reputable journals that, along with the development of scientific thought, will raise the development level of the Macedonian society. When either the academic or the social aspect starts to stimulate the other aspect, a reversible process is developed of stimulating and supplementing each other. However, one has to initiate this, either the society by offering quality conditions for research, or the researchers who, being enthusiasts, will be an initial burst of a rapid social development, said Zlatanov.



The project “The Youngest Scientist” is being implemented in order to give greater support to science, scientific institutions and young scientists, as well as to find ways to stimulate investments in science. The idea is through this project to establish a tradition for selection of the youngest scientist in the coming years in order to boost young scientific and research thought in the Republic of Macedonia. 17 young scientists with 20 scientific papers filed their applications at the published call for participation.



Nikola Zlatanov was born in 1983. He graduated in 2007, received a Master’s degree in 2010 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius. In the period November 2008-June 2010 he was employed in MANU and since September 2010 he is a PhD candidate and assistant researcher at the Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Faculty of British Columbia
in Vancouver, Canada where he received the most prestigious award granted for PhD candidates. His current research interests are in the general field of wireless telecommunications.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today paid a working visit to the municipality of Bogovinje. President Ivanov used this visit to meet with the Mayor, Hazbi Idrizi and with representatives from the municipality administration, visited the premises of “Frigotehna”, one of the major private companies in this municipality and attended the marking of the Day of the Albanian Teacher, March 7th, in the primary school “Sabedin Bajrami” in the village Kamenjane.

President Ivanov, during the meetings with his interlocutors, discussed topics of interest to the municipality, the possibility of investing and developing industrial zones in Bogovinje. President Ivanov after the meeting stated that he is impressed with the private initiative and the potentials offered by this municipality.


Asked by a journalist on the possibility of early elections, President Ivanov stated that 2011 was supposed to be a year of serious decisions which would have resulted in continuing the processes of Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, but a situation has been created by certain political entities on the necessity for elections. I believe we should all act responsibly at the elections, since that is a period when citizens cast their votes. I expect responsible conduct by all political stakeholders in Macedonia and I urge all, regardless of the time of the elections, to act responsibly, since individuals with clouded minds have lately produced dark scenarios for the elections. We should all act with responsibility during time of elections, and we have already shown that the vote can be arranged in line with all standards, President Ivanov said.


With regards to the census and its possible delay, President Ivanov said that if early elections were to be held, the competent bodies should decide over its postponement, but it is not typical both activities to be conducted in parallel.

Concerning the proposal for a Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, President Ivanov said that he is in intensive consultations with the representatives from the chambers, with the professors from the respective universities and faculties, as well as with the bankers, and announced that in the upcoming days he will propose the candidate to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today in Rotimlje attended the observance of the 7th anniversary of the death of President Boris Trajkovski who, along with his associates and crew members, died in the plane crash near Mostar.

It was not only Macedonia that suffered a loss. The region lost one atypical statesman and leader. A President appreciated by all his colleagues and statesmen not only in the region but even beyond, the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov stressed in his address on the occasion of marking the anniversary of the tragic death of President Boris Trajkovski.

President Ivanov underlined that President Trajkovski led the country in a very turbulent period in the region which was still burdened with divisions and conflicts, and with his leadership contributed Macedonia and its citizens to overcome the most difficult period of country’s independence. Leaving this world, Boris Trajkovski left a pledge for us: to continue his path of building democratic, inclusive and European Macedonia. That is something we owe him, and we also owe it to the Macedonian citizens and to Macedonia. I believe that this is the only way to achieve his vision of better Macedonia, President Ivanov added, as head of the delegation paying tribute to President Trajkovski and the eight late members of the Cabinet and the crew, in Rotimlje, near Mostar.

At the ceremony, besides President Ivanov, the Mayor of Mostar, Ljubo Beslic and the Prime Minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva County, Srecko Boras, delivered their addresses and wreaths were laid at the plane crash memorial. It was stressed in their addresses that the tragically deceased Macedonian President was dear and respected friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mostar, who was building bridges of cooperation during his political career, binding peoples on the basis of respect for peace and tolerance.

After the ceremony, in a media statement, President Ivanov said that the investigation of the plane crash near Mostar that claimed the life of President Boris Trajkovski has not been closed by Macedonian authorities. A commission has been established that collects all documents and cooperates with all relevant factors – President Ivanov stated in Rotimlje.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, pays two-day working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the occasion of marking the 7th anniversary of the tragic death of President Boris Trajkovski who, along with his associates and crew members, died in the plane crash near Mostar.

Macedonian President Dr. Gjorge Ivanov today in Mostar held bilateral talks with the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic and with the Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, Nebojsa Radmanovic.



Predominant during these two meetings were the topics concerning the internal-political and economic situation. The three interlocutors concluded that the slow Euro-Atlantic integration of the whole region and the global economic crisis consequences are the causes for the current political and economic state of play in several countries in the region. It was highlighted at the meetings that the Balkan countries must strengthen the economic cooperation and use the CEFTA agreement benefits. It was jointly noted at these two meetings that “the only tool that can move societies to progress is accelerated Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire region”.


President Ivanov at the meeting with President Josipovic stressed Macedonia’s desire and interest to become full-fledged member of the Adriatic-Ionian initiative along with Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia. It is an initiative we expect this year to be supported by the European Council by providing funds for concrete projects related to environment, access to ports, etc.
President Ivanov also attended the event organized by daily "Vecernji List" under the slogan 'Europe's Press'.

President Ivanov at the manifestation organized by the daily “Vecernji list” under the slogan “Europe’s Press” was awarded with a special recognition for his contribution to stabilization of the relations in the region and for his role in the development of the regional cooperation.