We live in a world in which politics and economy, security and communications function quite differently. In such a world, we need leaders able to make decisions, said the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, at the opening of the two-day Conference for Young Leaders titled "Challenges and Opportunities for the Balkan Leadership Today" in Ohrid.

According to President Ivanov, we should be glad that more people are leaning to the schools that provide planetary significance, especially climate change, economy, politics and security.

"Be creative and come up with innovative ideas. Do not succumb to the dominant schools that will make you bare consumers, consumers of ideas, goods and of someone else's thoughts," President Ivanov said to the Conference participants.

Participants of the Conference for Young Leaders titled "Challenges and Opportunities for the Balkan Leadership Today" are representatives of the five generations of the School for Young Leaders, which is organized every year upon the initiative of President Ivanov since 2010.

At the opening of the Conference, the participants heard the speeches of the former President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Parvanov, and of the former President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Bamir Topi.

"I think that there should be communication between young people from both countries, because if you create such a climate, it will be much easier for you when one of you one day will be the president, prime minister, mayor, and then the future of our two countries will look brighter", the former Bulgarian President Parvanov said.

"I am here today as a former president, but also as a strong, free voice, a voice I believe will have an impact, and I believe with all our efforts, of Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and of the other countries in the region, we should have one thing in common, and that thing in common is, of course, the European Union," the former Albanian President Topi said.

Within the two-day Conference for Young Leaders titled "Challenges and Opportunities for the Balkan Leadership Today", lectures will be delivered by prof. Dragan Stefanovic and Mr. Muhamed Mesic, and a debate will be organized on "ISLAA's Contribution to the Leadership of the Next Decade".

So far, the School for Young Leaders has been attended by around 200 young people with different academic and professional focus. Participants of previous schools are organized in the Alumni Association – ISLAA, registered as a separate association, which through organization of seminars, panel discussions, lectures, meetings with ambassadors, participation in youth events, furthers the development of knowledge and skills of the participants in the School.

President Ivanov, today at the People's Office in Skopje, had meetings with citizens where he was informed on their views and opinions about the overall situation in the society and heard their suggestions, observations and visions for the future development of the Republic of Macedonia.

At the meeting with President Ivanov, the interest of part of the citizens was on the projects in the field of innovation, challenges in education, issues related to the judiciary, protection of the Macedonian identity. The citizens discussed the prospects of the youth and the problems related to the unemployment.

Vasil Argirovski, winner of several diplomas for high results achieved in the field of innovation and technical improvements, asked for support to implement his innovation for energy efficiency, a project, as Argirovski said, of immense benefit to the Republic of Macedonia.

Elizabeta Nikolovska at the meeting with President Ivanov shared the challenges her 16 year-old son Nikola is facing, a young and successful chess player. He represented the Republic of Macedonia at European and global level, being the youngest FIDE Master.

Ferdi Ismaili and Nezir Huseini from the Association for Democratic Development of Roma, ADDR SONCE, shared with President Ivanov some of the challenges the Roma community is facing and assessed that, compared with a large number of countries, the Republic of Macedonia is a leader in protecting the rights of the Roma population.

Dimitar Dzundev, graduate in genetics, expressed his thankfulness for the opportunity to meet with President Ivanov and share his desire to build up his career in the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

The Macedonian President informed the citizens with the activities in exercising his constitutional and legal powers, gave his personal opinions and assessments for each case individually, and added that as before he will make use of the mechanisms within his jurisdiction for successfully overcoming the challenges faced by the citizens.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, attended today the annual celebration of the World Philosophy Day, which was held under his patronage at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.

President Ivanov at the celebration, organized by the Institute of Philosophy within the Faculty of Philosophy and the Philosophical association of Macedonia, gave a lecture on "Philosophy and Education".

The event promoted the journal "Philosophical Debate 16". The Macedonian President is a traditional patron of the celebration of the World Philosophy Day in the Republic of Macedonia.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, visited today the Municipality of Novo Selo and attended the cultural sporting event "Traditional Sports Games - Sports Bon-Ton". During the visit, President Ivanov and his wife, Ms. Maja Ivanova, in the wake of November 20, Universal Children's Day, visited the POU "Sv. Kliment Ohridski", a school for children with special educational needs.

"With this Bon Ton campaign, we intend children to learn the traditional games that were practiced by their parents, their ancestors, and to enable, as much as possible, mutual communication and socializing, because modern life brings challenges and children are more and more closed and uncommunicative. Through these traditional games, children get to know each other better, which is obviously pleasant for them, President Ivanov said.

Ahead of tomorrow's Universal Children's Day, along with my wife, the UNICEF Representative, and representatives of the local authorities, we have visited the school for children with special needs, to see what they are faced with, because we know that modern life brings challenges that require a completely different approach," President Ivanov said, adding that they had the opportunity to hear the findings and conclusions of the teachers and educators. The conclusions, as the Macedonian President said, will be submitted to the competent institutions in order to pay greater attention to these children.

The Coordinator of the Sports Bon Ton project, Ivan Anastasovski, said that research has been conducted for the purpose of integrating children with special needs with the children who are already involved in the project Sports Bon-Ton. -This will ensure that we can offer adaptable physical education program for children with disabilities, a program that would be later included in the regular primary education in the Republic of Macedonia," Ivan Anastasovski said.

The Mayor of Novo Selo, Blazo Velkov, expressed satisfaction that today his municipality hosted a sporting cultural event, thanking for the presence of President Ivanov, Ms. Maja Ivanova and the UNICEF representatives, who, in the wake of November 20, Universal Children's Day, closely acquainted with the challenges faced by the students from the primary school "Sv. Kliment Ohridski".

Претседателот на Република Македонија, д-р Ѓорге Иванов, на почетокот на следната година по петти пат ќе го додели признанието „Најдобар млад научник".

Јавниот повик за избор на „Најдобар млад научник" за 2014 година е отворен до 31 декември за сите млади луѓе до 30 години, кои во досегашната научна работа имаат постигнато научни резултати што придонесуваат за позитивен развој на општеството и околината во која живеат и работат.

Услов за конкурирање на заинтересираните е да имаат добиена меѓународна награда, меѓународно или домашно признание за научно-истражувачка дејност, резултатите од научното истражување да биле објавени во релевантно домашно или меѓународно списание и да имаат своја применетост.

Проектот „Најдобар млад научник", инициран од страна на претседателот на Република Македонија, д-р Ѓорге Иванов, има за цел да го поттикне развојот и да ги стимулира вложувањата во науката, да ги поддржи научните установи и младиот научен кадар, но и да ги награди врвните научни достигнувања.

„Изборорот на најдобар млад научник на годишно ниво од страна на Претседателот на Република Македонија претставува поттик на младата научна и истражувачка мисла во Република Македонија. Веќе петта година по ред имаме валозирација на заложбата на претседателот Иванов за поддршка на науката, научните установи и младиот научен кадар", вели проф. д-р Атанас Кочов, претседател на Комисијата за признанието „Најдобар млад научник".

Она што особено ме рaдува, вели проф. Кочов, е фактот што почнувајќи од 2010 година, кога првпат се додели признанието, бројот на апликанти од година во година се зголемува.

„Тоа јасно покажува дека во Република Македонија постои потенцијал на млад научноистражувачки кадар, кој е посветен на научната мисла и дејност. Македонија располага со кадар кој е спремен да одговори на предизвиците на науката и современите технолошки процеси во светот. Научните успеси на младите и нивната имплементација во секојдневните процеси, се сигурен придонес за севкупниот општествено-економски развој на нашата Македонија. Токму затоа, ги охрабрувам младите истражувачи да ја достават потребната документација на јавниот повик, со цел нивниот успех да биде препознаен и награден со престижно признание од Претседателот на Република Македонија, д-р Ѓорге Иванов", вели проф. Кочов.

Признанието „Најдобар млад научник" беше прв пат доделено од страна на претседателот Иванов во 2010 година, на м-р Никола Златанов, докторант на Универзитетот на Британска Колумбија, Канада.

Во 2011 година признанието му беше доделено на д-р Трифче Сандев, кој своето високо образование го има стекнато на Институтот за физика, на Природно-математичкиот Факултет – Скопје, каде и ја одбрани неговата докторска теза.

Во 2012 година признанието „Најдобар млад научник" беше доделено на д-р Катерина Бачева, која своето високо образование го има стекнато на Институтот за хемија при Природно-математичкиот факултет.

Во 2013 година признанието го доби м-р Петар Стојанов, биоинформатичар кој во Броуд Институт, Бостон, САД се занимава со биоинформатичка анализа на генетските промени кај малигните заболувања.

Апликацијата за учество на јавниот повик треба да содржи биографија, реализирани проекти во 2014 година со кои се конкурира и доказ за државјанство на Република Македонија.

Заинтересираните своите документите треба да ги достават до Кабинетот на Претседателот на Република Македонија најдоцна до 31.12.2014 година.

In the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today, a ceremonial change of the national flag was held.

The ceremony was attended by President Ivanov, pupils from the primary school "Aleksandar Makedonski" and members of the basketball club "Junior" from Skopje.

The change of the national flag of the Republic of Macedonia in the Cabinet of the President was performed by the Guard Unit of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia.

The ceremony of changing the national flag aims at raising the sense and respect for the flag of the Republic of Macedonia, as a sign and symbol of the statehood of our country.