The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today attended the central celebration of the Nativity of Christ - Christmas in the Cathedral “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Skopje. The Christmas liturgy led by the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia H.H. Stefan, and the members of the Holy Synod of the MOC. President Ivanov, following the liturgy, congratulated Christmas to the Orthodox citizens and wished them health, happiness and joy. To all those who celebrate today the great Christian holiday Christmas I congratulate them the birth of Christ. I wish you all health, joy and happiness throughout the year. In the spirit of our tradition, I wish we are united throughout the year as we are united for the holidays. May we help each other in solidarity and respect each other, President Ivanov said and greeted the Orthodox Christians with the traditional greeting “Christ is born”. In the Ivanov family, this year the coin in the Christmas Eve pie went to their home, the President said.
The liturgy was attended by the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Trajko Veljanovski, the US Ambassador Paul Wohlers, the Director of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups, Valentina Bozinovska, and other personalities from public life in the country. The Christmas liturgy served in the Cathedral was attended also, among the other clergy, the archimandrite Nikodim Tsarknias, fighter for the rights of Macedonians in Greece. President Ivanov, after the liturgy, attended the Christmas lunch which is traditionally organized by the Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – the Ohrid Archbishopric, H.H. Stefan.

About thirty children from the children’s choir “Golden Nightingale” today, on the occasion of Christmas and Christmas traditions, visited the home of the Ivanov family. With Christmas song, in front of the door of the presidential residence, the “Golden Nightingale” members announced their arrival. They were welcomed at the entrance by President Ivanov, his wife Maja and their son Ivan. As they heard the Christmas Song, the hosts invited the children in their home and gave them Christmas presents. The Ivanov family honored their guests with juice and fasting cookies, and the children, besides the hugs, thanked them by singing several New Year and Christmas songs. Ivan, President Ivanov's son, together with the “Golden Nightingales” enriched the pleasant Christmas atmosphere by singing a song by Tose Proeski, Macedonia’s pearl, who was also a member of the children’s choir “Golden Nightingale”, in his childhood.
Great is the pleasure today to have as guests in our home the “Golden Nightingale” members who enriched this wonderful and great holiday with their Christmas songs. Wish of every child is to take part in the Christmas celebration, Ivan Ivanov said, adding that he gladly remembers the customs and all the great moments from his childhood, when he was part of the Christmas celebrations.     - And I would like to acknowledge that this morning before you came, I was at my grandfather’s and sang him the Christmas song. Our home, always and with great respect and with much joy, celebrates these holidays, so it will be today, tonight and tomorrow. I wish you a beautiful holiday, much health, happiness, love, joy, music ... May we celebrate the holiday many years. Merry Christmas!, Ivan Ivanov said, the son of the Macedonian President.

Surprise for the guests was the meeting with Ivanov’s pet. The Children of the “Golden Nightingale” Choir met and played with Alek, the dog.

The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, accompanied by the Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Goranco Koteski, today visited the members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia in the barracks “Mirce Acev” in Prilep who are on duty during the New Year holidays.

Traditionally, as Commander-in-Chief, the first day of the New Year I spend with the members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Now, I am with the members of the artillery battalion. Congratulating the New Year, through them, I extend congratulations to all members of the Army, especially to the soldiers in the peacekeeping missions abroad who also contribute to Macedonia’s reputation in the world. Our Army, according to all standards, meets NATO requirements and I hope that one day we will get what belongs to us, to be part of the Alliance, President Ivanov said after the meeting with the soldiers.

The traditional visit of the Commander-in-Chief was used to reopen the renovated barracks “Mirce Acev” in Prilep. President Ivanov noted that the revival of the barracks is important not only for the life in the city, but from a strategic point of view.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today visited the Pediatric Clinic in Skopje, together with members of the Alumni Association of the School for Young Leaders (ISLAA), and gave Christmas presents and toys to children treated at the clinic, congratulating them the New Year and wishing them faster recovery.

Ivana Atanasovska, the President of the Ivanov School of Leaders Alumni Association, said that this year also, in collaboration with the project “Embrace as a Present”, and with the full support of President Ivanov, they organized this humanitarian action for awarding Christmas presents, donation, this year, by the factory “Vitaminka”, as well as handmade toys by children from kindergarten throughout Macedonia.

“Our biggest Christmas wish is these children to be healed as soon as possible. We wish them go back to their homes and continue their carefree childhood play. If today we succeeded, at least a little, to make this day a better one for them with our gifts, it is the biggest New Year’s gift for us”, Atanasovska said.

She expressed gratitude to President Ivanov on behalf of all the members of the alumni association, for his generous support for all of their activities and humanitarian actions, and wished a happy New year to all the children who are treated at the clinic, to all those who care for them, and all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.

The Project manager of the humanitarian action “Embrace as a Present”, and ISLAA member, Emiliia Dzurovska, said that the action aims to settle humanity in the early ages among children in kindergarten who hand made toys to wish happy holidays to the children who have to stay in hospitals for the New Year holidays. With this, they convey their wishes for a faster recovery.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today hosted a New Year reception for the children of the members of the Army of Republic of Macedonia in peacekeeping missions, as well as for the children of the late members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia in the peacekeeping mission “Althea”.

In the Hall of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia, the children of the Macedonian peacekeepers attended the Christmas performance “Santa in the Land of Penguins”, and, after the performance, the President gave them New Year presents.

President Ivanov wished the children the coming year to be filled with health, happiness, success in learning and joyful childhood days filled with laughter.

Children had the opportunity via video link to greet their parents and who are currently in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Skopje City Mall, designed by the architects Gregory Ibanez, Zvonko Tasevski, Krste Petrov and the consultant Ilia Bozinovski of DSC Design, is the best work of architecture in 2012.

The annual award for architecture, tonight, was presented by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, who is its traditional patron.

In his address, President Ivanov stressed that Macedonia can boast a significant tradition of Macedonian constructors whose buildings are recognized in the wider region.

“Macedonian architecture reflects the traditions, values and vision of the Macedonian people, and every generation of architects is challenged and obliged to improve and enrich the image of the Macedonian architecture. Responsibility lies not only towards our contemporaries, but also to future generations. Indeed, they will also witness what we have left them as architectonic legacy”, President Ivanov said, congratulating this year’s winners of the award.

The award ceremony is organized by the Association of Architects of Macedonia, within the traditional annual meeting of architects. The Annual Award this year was awarded for the 36 time, and it is an overview of the architectonic works in the current year and valorization of the most successful architectural achievements.