The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, accompanied by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Macedonia, Ivan Velikov Petkov, today visited the Cultural and Information Centre of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Macedonia.

The Director of the Bulgarian Culture and Information Centre, Dimitar Hristov, thanked for President Ivanov’s visit, adding that for them the visit is a pleasant surprise and a great honor.

Hristov, who has presented the President some of the literature available at their library, said that as an institution, it has excellent cooperation with the Cultural and Information Centre of the Republic of Macedonia in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Sport has not a sideline, but extremely important role in the society because it brings people together, connects and builds unity, the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, said in his address at the International Conference “Sport as a Factor for Tolerance, Unity and Respect”, as final activity within the project with the same name, initiated by the Geo-strategic Institute “Global”.

The President, who is patron of the event, noted that multiethnic sport is inclusive activity through which we can build a better future for the Macedonian society as a whole. Individual’s talent, as suggested by the President, wins games, while teamwork wins championships.

Multi-ethnic sport is exactly that - teamwork, at home and outside, at the championships. It refers not only to sports, but to every sphere of life. Our team is called the Republic of Macedonia; it includes all its citizens, all communities, regardless of ethnic, religious or any other affiliation, regardless of gender and age”, President Ivanov said.
 
As a passionate supporter of sports activities, he took the opportunity to announce the next project – celebration of a sports day in the Republic of Macedonia. "This sports day will be marked in a way that each of us will dedicate and spend in making mass friendships through sports", President Ivanov stressed.

The Macedonian President stressed that sport builds solidarity and has the power to connect people with equal force that connects clubs and champions with their dedicated fans.

"We live in a multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious society. As inclusive, not exclusive, human activity, sport implies participation rather than isolation. Therefore, we strongly support multi-ethnic sport and believe it will modernize the ancient tradition of tolerance, unity and mutual respect."

The US Ambassador, Paul Wohlers, one of the supporters of this project, in his speech stressed that the activities carried out within it contributed to bringing together young people from all over Macedonia, regardless of their ethnic, religious, social and cultural background, in developing deeper and richer sentiments about themselves and others.

The President of the Geo-strategic Institute "Global", Ivan Anastasovski, the organizer of this conference, said that through sports and through such projects, we will be able to address the dark forces willing to advocate something else in Macedonia.

"Today we are gathered here again, but not to say that we have finished, but to show that we are a big family consisted of all communities, religions and nationalities of all ages", Anastasovski noted.
The International Conference is the final activity within the project "Sport as a Factor for Tolerance, Unity and Respect" whose patron is President Ivanov, which, in the last year was conducted in several municipalities in Macedonia for children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, through sport, to develop the spirit of togetherness, mutual understanding and respect.

As a patron and supporter of the project "Sport as a Factor for Tolerance, Unity and Respect", President Ivanov was awarded Certificate of Appreciation. The organizers of the project expressed gratitude to the President for his outstanding devotion and  commitment to this and all other projects aimed at bringing young people from Macedonia together and towards building a multiethnic coexistence.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today visited the International Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions MAKINOVA, as well as the Innovation Exhibition of expressly ecological character ECONOMA, held as part of the biggest and most renowned fair TEHNOMA 2012.

With this exhibition, organized by the Union of Inventors and Authors of Technical Improvements of Macedonia (SPATUM) and Narodna Tehnika, we mark 55 years of innovative work in Macedonia. This event enables the citizens to become better acquainted with the new inventions, and to present everyday concerns that require new scientific and technological solutions.

President Ivanov saw a number of innovations, new technologies and products, and technical improvements for households, commercial buildings and industrial companies. The exhibition also includes youth research and creative work, with main purpose of popularization of science and technology among young people.

Како посветен поддржувач на иновациите и новите технички пронајдоци, претседателот Иванов ја поздрави неуморната иницијатива на иноваторите од Македонија, потенцирајќи го нивниот неспорен придонес кон економскиот и техничко-технолошкиот развој на нашата држава. Тој ја изрази својата поддршка за нивните пронајдоци, честитајќи им на сите досегашни успеси.

As a dedicated supporter of innovations and new technical inventions, President Ivanov welcomed the tireless initiative of the Macedonian innovators, underlining their indisputable contribution to the economic and technical-technological development of our country. He expressed his support for their inventions, congratulating all their past successes.

"Innovations move society towards progress, facilitate people's lives and surmount obstacles and challenges. Macedonian innovators are among the most prominent and greatest ambassadors of our country in the world, as witnessed by the many received awards at international level. Their work shows that the idea and creativity are the greatest assets of a society and the best driver of growth. Therefore, they need the support of all of us", President Ivanov said.

As part of his visit of the exhibition of innovations and technical inventions, President Ivanov toured the other halls of the Skopje Fair, meet with exhibitors at this year's International Fair TEHNOMA, one of the most prominent promoters of the development of the industrial economy in the region, which, for more than three decades follows the progress of the latest achievements in the field of technology and intensifies the international exchange.

The identity of one nation belongs to those basic categories that can never be subject to compromise with anyone, said today the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, in a statement to the media regarding the reinstatement of the adjective “Macedonian” in the European Commission Report, as well as regarding his announcements that he will not accept the document if it the adjective is omitted.

President Ivanov, in a press statement on the sidelines of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, said that it was worth all the efforts and political struggles to reinstate the adjective “Macedonian” in the report.

“As it is said among the people, if you do not fight you have lost the battle in advance. That is why I was so persistent precisely for this, because in the past two EC Reports it was left out. I have always reacted and will continue to react when our identity, in its entirety, is concerned, because identity belongs to those basic categories that can never be subject to compromise with anyone”, President Ivanov said, adding that we must always react appropriately when there are attempts for denying something that belongs to us.

The Head of state due to the omission of the adjective “Macedonian” in the previous two reports of the European Commission, last year and in 2010, sent letters to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, in which he pointed out that such a practice of Brussels is insulting the feelings of the Macedonian people. President Ivanov, in the letters to Barroso, emphasized that it does not help in finding a solution to the imposed name dispute by Greece.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, in the annual address before the members of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia in December 2011, announced that he will not receive the new EC report if it does not contain the adjective “Macedonian”.

On the second day of the official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Ivanov, in Banja Luka, met with the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, which once again confirmed the friendly relations and stressed the need to intensify economic cooperation.

President Ivanov, at the meeting, was informed of the internal political and economic situation in the Republika Srpska and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the talks, Dodik said that Republika Srpska nurtures friendly relations with the Republic of Macedonia and praised the increase of the economic activity of the Macedonian companies bidding in Republika Srpska. Mutual was the conclusion that the economic cooperation should be promoted, and the presence of the construction company “Granit” is considered a good start.

The President of Republika Srpska informed President Ivanov of the planned investment projects and invited the Macedonian companies for participation. The Macedonian President stressed the need for signing of an agreement on double taxation evasion in order to promote economic cooperation.

President Ivanov and Dodik exchanged views on the situation in the region, and the Macedonian President stressed that greater infrastructure and energy connectivity, as well as the EU and NATO integration will contribute to lasting stability and prosperity in the Balkans.

President Ivanov met with representatives of the Association of Macedonians in Banja Luka, who were visited for the first time by a Macedonian president. Ivanov held talks with them and underlined that he is happy to see among them many successful people, loyal to the country they live in and at the same time nurture the links with their homeland.

“In the past we lived together and we expect the future to reunite us. That is the reason why we are paying diligent attention to Europe”, President Ivanov said.

The Macedonian President announced that through the programs and projects of the Ministries of Education and Culture, the Macedonian Associations will be assisted.
Macedonian community in Banja Luka, according to certain surveys, is consisted of about 500 persons, but their number will be known after the census in Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for the next year.

Macedonians in Banja Luka say that they are respected among their fellow citizens in Republika Srpska, but they lack greater support by the Republic of Macedonia. They especially rejoice cultural manifestations which, as they say, help maintain the Macedonian spirit.

During the visit to Banja Luka, President Ivanov met with the President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Igor Radojcic.

The European Movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina awarded the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, the Order for his merits in the EU integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The award was presented to President Ivanov for his contribution to the reconciliation process of the nations in the region, for the economic cooperation between Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for the significant support to Sarajevo on the path to the European Union accession.

Expressing appreciation for the given honor, President Ivanov said that this recognition for him is a reward for the Republic of Macedonia, for everything we do to make the European idea become a European reality.

“Our region needs Europe and Europe needs the Balkans too since the EU without the Balkans is not yet Europe. The Balkans needs the European idea because, as Jean Monnet said - Building Europe, we are building peace. Our region needs peace, because peace brings prosperity and development”, President Ivanov said at the ceremony of awarding the order. We need dialogue, because through dialogue we can find all the solutions, he added.

 “Through dialogue we build peace, because peace is priceless. For the Balkans, Europe means peace and future. I wish all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina European future”, the president said in his speech at the ceremony.

The European Movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, since2010, awards orders for outstanding merits in the process of European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This year, the high recognition for economic cooperation, for reconciliation process and support for the European integration, despite to President Ivanov, was awarded to the Slovenian President Danilo Turk and the owner of the German international company “Meggle”, Toni Meggle.