The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today in Vienna met with the Former President of the Republic of Austria, Mr. Heinz Fischer.

President Ivanov and Mr. Fischer exchanged views on the current developments in Europe and the European Union, the migrant crisis and the challenges faced by the countries in Southeast Europe.

The Macedonian President expressed gratitude for the consistent support from the Republic of Austria for the strategic objectives of the Republic of Macedonia and satisfaction with the cooperation in dealing with the migrant crisis.

Fischer expressed satisfaction with the way the Republic of Macedonia successfully deals with the migrant and refugee crisis. Hence, Ivanov and Fischer agreed that enhanced security cooperation between all countries of the European continent is necessary. Moreover, the interlocutors agreed that the policy of EU enlargement must continue and that the integration of the Balkans is essential to the overall peace, security and stability in the region. Referring to the situation and the recent developments in the European Union, the two presidents agreed that the Union is stagnating and is facing a growing number of problems. However, Ivanov and Fischer believe that despite this situation, the European Union must overcome the crisis and move on.
At the meeting, they exchanged information on the current political and economic situation in the Republic of Macedonia and in the Republic of Austria.

The Macedonian President thanked Fisher for his personal commitment and efforts in promoting the political dialogue between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Austria, which resulted in increased cooperation in many areas of mutual interest and expressed hope for its further intensification and deepening in the future.

President Ivanov is paying a working visit to the Republic of Austria on the occasion of the participation on the Paneuropean Union Congress, where he said that the EU enlargement fatigue has led to retrograde processes in our region.

The Former Austrian President, Heinz Fischer, is a longtime friend of the Republic of Macedonia and one of the strongest supporters of the enlargement process of the EU, and thus Austria was the initiator of the Group of Friends in the European Parliament. In Austria, the presidential elections are scheduled on December 4.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today in Villa Biljana in Ohrid received Bishop Tikhon, Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who is paying a visit to the Republic of Macedonia.

At the meeting they exchanged views on the relations between the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Ohrid Archdiocese, and the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the overall situation in Orthodoxy.

President Ivanov stressed the need for further intensification and enhancement of the relations between the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Ohrid Archdiocese, and the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the relations between the Macedonian and the Russian people, which are connected by the rich shared history.

In this context, the Macedonian President underlined the missionary and teacher's role of the many educators who come from this region in the cultural development of all Slavic peoples.

At the meeting, Bishop Tikhon conveyed greetings from the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill I to President Ivanov and stressed that Ohrid and Macedonia have an important role in spreading Orthodoxy.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, received today a high military delegation of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

At the meeting, they exchanged views and information on the possibilities for promoting the cooperation between the two armies, especially in the sphere of defense, as well as on the security situation with regard to the challenges arising from the migrant and refugee crisis.

President Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the positive dynamics in the bilateral cooperation and the continuation of the intensive dialogue between the Republic of Macedonia and Egypt in the past period, which further promote friendship, mutual understanding and respect between the two countries.

Both sides exchanged views on combating terrorism, violent extremism and radicalism and agreed that it is necessary to deepen the cooperation between the security services of both countries in order to meet global challenges.

In this context, the Macedonian President once again stressed the support in the fight against terrorism which the Republic of Macedonia has repeatedly received from Egypt, as a leader country and guarantor of stability in the region of North Africa.

President Ivanov and the military delegation from Egypt concluded that there is a need to intensify the cooperation between the two armies by establishing a greater dynamics in the defense sector as a mutual interest and focus of action of the two countries.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, within the 71^st General Assembly of the United Nations in New, York met with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

“It was honor and privilege to have the opportunity to work with you in the past years; you are one of the most visible and most active leaders”, commended Ban for the President of the Republic of Macedonia, praising Ivanov’s leadership on issues of importance for the United Nations, such as climate change, the Alliance of Civilizations, sustainable development, migrant crisis.

At the meeting, they exchanged views on the current challenges facing the United Nations, the situation in the Republic of Macedonia and the region, as well as the name dispute and the United Nations led process.

President Ivanov welcomed the initiative to hold a high-level meeting at the United Nations General Assembly on the mass movements of refugees and migrants, issues which, according to Ivanov, require a common approach and coordinated action.

President Ivanov and Secretary General Ban exchanged views on the situation in Macedonia and the region of Southeast Europe, especially in the context of its European and Euro-Atlantic perspective.

Regarding the name difference, President Ivanov stressed Macedonia’s readiness for constructive participation in the United Nations led process, in compliance with international law, the Interim Accord, the UN resolutions and the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

President Ivanov welcomed the frequent contacts and confidence-building measures, stressing that they need to be further expanded. “In dialogue and measures, a positive atmosphere is created that helps to restore confidence and improve understanding”, President Ivanov said.

At the end of his second term as UN Secretary General, President Ivanov praised the leadership of Mr. Ban Ki-moon and his commitment to the core values ​​of the United Nations and wished him success in his future endeavors.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, in New York, held a meeting with the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimana.

At the meeting, the two presidents exchanged information on the political and economic situation in both countries, as well as on the key challenges they face.

The interlocutors jointly concluded that the political contacts between Macedonia and Madagascar need to be strengthened; the capacities for cooperation to be well presented and cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest to be initiated.

President Ivanov said that the political relations between the two countries are good, but despite the multilateral cooperation, there is no concrete bilateral cooperation and therefore it is necessary to initiate contacts and to exploit the potential, especially in the economic sphere.

At the meeting, the President of Madagascar informed about the opportunities his country offers, especially in agriculture, tourism, mining and energy, and stressed the interest of Madagascar to use Macedonia's experiences in economic reforms.

The President of Madagascar thanked President Ivanov on the accepted invitation to participate at the 16th Francophonie Summit, to be held in November in Antananarivo.

A significant contribution and support the Republic of Macedonia gives to the Alliance of Civilizations and its initiatives which play an important role in building peace through the dialogue among the different civilizations, said President Ivanov and the High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, at the meeting held within the 71st UN General Assembly.

"The Republic of Macedonia has an extremely active role in the Alliance of Civilizations and we as a country have a lot to offer. Our inclusive society which nurtures the tradition of dialogue and respect for diversity is a positive experience and an example that should be followed", President Ivanov said.

The meeting discussed the role of the Alliance of Civilizations in dealing with global challenges as well as the necessity of promoting dialogue and cooperation between the countries in order to safeguard global peace, stability and prosperity.

In this context, President Ivanov stressed the need for the Alliance to focus on the positive experiences of dialogue that come from the society itself, in which all participants will feel equal, noting that the future activities of the organization should be focused on the preventive aspect.

The need for all members to engage with their own initiatives in the implementation of the goals of the Alliance of Civilizations is evident, the interlocutors concluded.

The UN High Representative Al-Nasser expressed gratitude to President Ivanov for his personal commitment and support of this global initiative.

"We highly appreciate your ideas and thoughts and they make an important contribution to our work and the work of the Alliance, which is still a young organization but has already yielded results", Al-Nasser said at the meeting with the Macedonian President.

The interlocutors expressed readiness to continue and deepen the close cooperation in the future.

At the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the UNAOC - Alliance of Civilizations of the United Nations and the FOC - Foundation of the Alliance of Civilizations-Skopje, which should further intensify the cooperation in the future.