During his visit to the United States, on the occasion of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, at an invitation of Harvard University, gave a lecture to the students at the Law Faculty and the prestigious Kennedy School.

In the lecture with a focus on Macedonia, the President, in a broader context, explained the ethnic and ethno-linguistic structure in the Balkan region, underlying that in the Republic of Macedonia there is a tradition of tolerance, inclusiveness and respect for diversity in view of religions, ethnicities, languages. This tradition, and the social complexity of our state, as pointed out by President Ivanov, is reflected in the governance structure at national and local level.

The President stressed that in today’s globalized world, in which there are no longer ethnically homogenous states, ethnic democracy is facing a number of challenges, such as ethnization of civil society, of political spectrum and institutions. In such a context, the Republic of Macedonia is striving to ensure respect for human rights and related protection mechanisms.

In global terms, Macedonian President said to the students at Harvard, that there is a tendency for revoking ethnic dimensions, which are the basis for potential conflicts.

”Inclusive models offer solutions, while exclusive models of divisions on ethnic grounds are an inevitable source of conflict, tension and destabilization”, President Ivanov stressed.

Harvard University representatives surprised President Ivanov by showing him a copy of his first book “Political theories – Antique” and asked him to sign it.

Within his visit to Harvard University in Boston, President Ivanov met with the five Macedonian students who are currently at graduate and doctoral studies at this prestigious institution. President Ivanov congratulated them on their success to study at Harvard, encouraging them to invest in the future their acquired knowledge and specialization in the development and progress of the Republic of Macedonia. Macedonian students expressed their satisfaction that President Ivanov visited Harvard, for giving them the opportunity, along with the US students and other countries, to attend his lecture.

President Ivanov donated Harvard University Library the edition of 130 volumes of Macedonian literature, aimed at promotion of the Macedonian language and literature at one of the oldest and most prominent higher education institutions in the United States.

The Republic of Macedonia recently celebrated 21 year of its independence, during which we passed through the difficult period of our transition, President Ivanov said at the meeting with the Macedonians living in Totowa and Cedar Grove in New Jersey. President Ivanov, who attended the Sunday liturgy in the church "St. Nikola" in Totowa, told the assembled citizens that Macedonia is working to improve the economy and dignity of life.

- We are making all efforts to achieve our strategic goal - Macedonia as member of NATO and the European Union. We are trying now, with young people, many of whom returned to Macedonia from Canada or America, to make life easier in Macedonia and much more dignified. Much more is invested in youth, education, but also we do a lot for the older, by investing in health. We are creating jobs and investments are coming from abroad. We are trying to create an environment in the Republic of Macedonia for people to stay here, so that there is no longer need for them to go in pursuit of their happiness abroad, as you have done, but young people can stay to live and work in Macedonia, President Ivanov said.

President Ivanov at the meeting commented on the inclusion of the Macedonians in the Diaspora in the parliamentary elections in Macedonia. Macedonians from New Jersey said that at the next election cycle, they expect increased turnout, and add that for increased turnout, elections should be organized in the churches, not only in the consulate in New York.

The church "St. Nikola" in Totowa was established in 1993. Major centers of Macedonians in New York and the neighboring metro area are Cedar Grove and Totowa, where the church "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" and "St. Nikola" and the monastery "St. Gjorgji" and the church "St. Kliment" in Queens in New York are located.

- We have made all our efforts by raising money for the church. In this area, we believe there are between 5.000 and 10.000 Macedonians; about a hundred families are active, they come to the church regularly and maintain it. The churches are the only institutions that keep the link with our country. We need to be engaged more to maintain the language, the tradition, Velko Mitreski said, one of the organizers of the work in the church "St. Nikola", who has made a small exhibition center, with ancient coins found in Macedonia, Macedonian tobacco and other memories from the homeland.

Until last year, in the church in Totowa, there was a kindergarten for about 15 children who attended it few days a week. It was also attended by children from other communities as Armenians or Egyptian Copts, coming there for the liturgy. Mitreski says the church is occasionally visited by Greeks.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, launched his visit to the United States, where he will attend the 67th United Nations General Assembly, with a meeting with the Macedonian emigrants in the church of St. “Cyril and Methodius” in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.

- Among the numerous links that connect the homeland and the diaspora, the greatest is the love to our common homeland. I believe that the love is a reason more to be together, united and unified in our efforts for highly developed, rich and prosperous Republic of Macedonia. The desire for European and Euro-Atlantic Macedonia unites not only the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia but also our brothers and sisters around the world. Thus, we will be able to fulfill the dream of our forefathers for freedom, justice and human dignity. To be united under the motto – we will live in Macedonia as we will create it. And we want to live in a rich, highly developed, European and prosperous Macedonia, President Ivanov said..

The meeting, despite the large number of Macedonians from New Jersey, was attended by politicians from this state. Congressmen Bill Pascrell, strong supporter of Macedonia, held a speech in which he strongly urged for Macedonia’s membership in NATO. - We, as a country, have no right, and the United Nations have no right, to tell you, or any other nation, how to call yourselves. I have discussed this issue many times with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a good friend of mine. I have talked with former presidents, Democrats and Republicans, and we will not yield of Macedonia being a sovereign and independent state forever and there is no reason someone to hinder our NATO membership. Our struggle is not to destroy the enemy, but the enemy to become a friend, Congressman Pascrell said.

He announced support for changing immigration-related laws in the United States, in order to allow all migrants, including Macedonian, facilitated access to America, and to connect with their families. Kire Trajceski, president of the “St. Cyril and Methodius” church board, demanded preservation of the Macedonian identity in the course of the talks with Greece. - The only irreparable thing is the loss of the name and identity of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. It is something that if once lost, it will never return, Trajceski said. President Ivanov tomorrow will visit the church of “St. Nikola” in Totowa. Afterwards, the President will visit Boston, where he will deliver a lecture at the elite Harvard University on “Macedonian integrations and respect for diversity in the Republic of Macedonia”..

President Ivanov, on Thursday, will address the UN General Assembly. During his visit, he will meet with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who recently visited Macedonia and was informed on the progress of the talks with Greece on the name issue. President Ivanov, despite the bilateral meetings in New York, will attend the reception hosted by the US President Barack Obama, as well as the opening of the new premises of the European Union to the United Nations in the presence of the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.

The film director Milco Mancevski who, 18 years ago, won the “Golden Lion” award of the prestigious Venice Film Festival for “Before the Rain”, as of today bears the title “National Artist”, the highest recognition for culture in Macedonia. The award, which acknowledges his contribution to the development and affirmation of the Macedonian cinematography, was presented to him by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov.

“When we consider Mancevski’s film opus, we must stress that he is a lucid, innovative and consistent cinematographer. He is an author whose specific and original aesthetics is highly valued by film critics and accepted by the film audience. He is an author who leaves you breathless”, President Ivanov said.

Recalling that at this year’s International Cinematographers’ Film Festival “Manaki Brothers” there are 28 Macedonian movies, the President added that for the successful development of the Macedonian film particular importance have Mancevski’s achievements.

Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska said that Mancevski is an artist with an incredible imagination and inventiveness, endlessly curious and wise storyteller. He is the first film maker who managed in an important period after the independence of the country to make the world public and film critic familiar with the new state in the Balkans. It thus opened the way for the future generations of young film makers to successfully promote themselves in the world, the Culture Minister said.

Mancevski briefly thanked for the award to the President, the Minister and the Commission and his loved ones who, as he said, were there for me when it was easy and when it was tough.

Milco Mancevski (1959) is a film director, screenwriter and professor. He graduated at the School of Film and Photography in Carbondale, Illinois, USA. Since 1985 he lives in New York where he teaches directing at the post-graduate studies at the "New York University", but he often resides in his native Skopje.

He is the author of more than sixty movies: short, feature and documentary films, videos, clips, commercials and feature-length films. After winning the "Golden Lion", his film "Before the Rain" (1994) was among the Oscar nominees for non-English speaking films. He is the screenwriter and film director of "Dust" in 2001, "Shadows" in 2007 and "Mothers" in 2010. He was also a director of the series "The Wire".

Mancevski has won over 40 international awards for aesthetic and cultural achievements for the films that had more than 200 festival screenings on all continents. The video "Tennessee" won the award for best video on MTV and is among the top 100 music videos according to the magazine "The Rolling Stone". His films open up a new era in the modern film production in Macedonia, international co-productions and the Macedonian films began to be shown at A-category festivals. His work is part of the curriculum at hundreds of universities, film encyclopedias and Cinematheques. As direct investment from foreign partners and governments, through the European Fund "Eurimages", Mancevski's films have brought in Macedonia more than 15 million Euros.

He is the author of the first of a series of videos to promote the country "Macedonia Timeless", of four books, two of which with photos. Since 2007 Manceski is the Ambassador of the Macedonia's culture to the United States.

Milco Mancevski is the second winner of the title of National Artist of Macedonia. Last September it was awarded to the pianist Simon Trpceski. The award, which is awarded on the basis of the Law on National Artist adopted last year, consists of a permanent monthly allowance of 1.000 Euros.

I am distinctly pleased that so many young people have decided to study the professions of the future. My motto is that we need to create future for the youth, and youth for the future, said today the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, at the first academic class at the University for Information Science and Technology “St. Paul the Apostle” in Ohrid, wishing the students success in acquiring new knowledge and skills.

“After graduation, you will be working in the field of information and communication technologies and you will be involved in designing, modeling and functioning of our hyper-connected world. A world in which increasingly important role have optical corridors and Information junctions”, the President said in his welcome address, adding that we should be aware that time does not wait, but it quickly leaks away.

“The future is happening as we speak. New changes in modern technology will come with or without us. The biggest benefit will be felt by those individuals, societies and countries which will be actively involved in the global competition and will be competitive in the global market of technologies. The question is whether we will wait others to offer us solutions, or we are going to be part of those solutions the world needs, President Ivanov said at the first academic class.

The President stressed that today, knowledge, innovation, inventiveness, networked with the help of information and communication technologies enable millions of people to work from home, or to create new jobs through outsourcing. We have to provide such opportunity to our citizens, the President said. Only that way they will be ready to compete in the global market.

"In a hyper-connected world, a world of knowledge-based economies, tolerance, talent and technology, there are no "small countries". This is exactly the development to which we all should strive, President Ivanov urged the students from the IT University in Ohrid.

The students who sat for the first time in the amphitheater today say that they have chosen the information science as their future profession, inspired by the growing demand for such highly educated personnel. Their interests range from the field of computer engineering and information systems, to digital animation, machine Intelligence and robotics.

Particularly favorable circumstance, according to the students, is the fact that the teaching at the University in Ohrid is in English, which enables them to improve the language and the appropriate terminology.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today in Istanbul, had a working lunch with the leadership of TUSKON - Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists, and thus began his working visit activities.

At the working lunch organized in his honor, President Ivanov informed the businessmen with the reform process in the Republic of Macedonia, with the country’s efforts to create a more favorable business environment, and called on the TUSKON members to invest in the Republic of Macedonia, informing them on the foreign investment incentives.

The President of TUSKON,  Rizanur Meral stressed that the Confederation and its members provide strong support to the development of economic cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey, and expressed expectation that in the future, the number of Turkish investors in the Republic of Macedonia will be continuously increasing. TUSKON is considered one of the most influential Chambers in the Republic of Turkey, which represents 173 companies and 43,000 members.

During the visit, at the Patriarchate of Constantinople, President Ivanov met with His Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

At the meeting, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed satisfaction with the frequent meetings and exchange of views with President Ivanov. “I am happy that whenever you are in Istanbul you come to visit me, I am especially happy that this year you visited me for Easter. I see a friend in you, an intellectual and a leader dedicated to spiritual values”, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said. At the interest of the Ecumenical Patriarch, President Ivanov informed him on the relations between Macedonia and Greece, especially the economic relations and the relations between the two societies.

Mutual conclusion was that in time of global challenges, leadership is needed in all areas to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of progress of all peoples, as well as to overcome misunderstandings and achieve Orthodox unity. The Ecumenical Patriarch also congratulated the leadership of President Ivanov, his commitment to dialogue and tolerance of diversity.

The Macedonian President reiterated the commitment of the Republic of Macedonia to improve the relations between all religious communities, noting that the diversity of religious and cultural communities is a centuries-old heritage and unique wealth of our country. President Ivanov reaffirmed the invitation to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to visit the Republic of Macedonia.

During his visit, President Ivanov is scheduled to address the opening ceremony of the "TOBB International Business Forum", which will bring together over 1000 businessmen and representatives of international institutions from 85 countries of the world. Key discussion topic of the Forum is a global economic crisis, with a particular focus on the role of the private sector, and the need to strengthen entrepreneurship and find solutions to overcome international trade obstacles.

The TOBB University of Economics and Technology is one of the most renowned universities in Turkey, which, in October 2009, awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa to President Ivanov.