The President of the Republic of Macedonia Dr. Gjorge Ivanov today awarded the Order of Merit for Macedonia to the National institution Turkish Theatre – Skopje, for the outstanding results in their long-year activity in the area of dramatic arts, the significant contribution in building the multiculturalism in the Macedonian society, as well as for the advancement of the friendly relations and cooperation between Macedonia and Turkey.

“This Order of Merit is applause for all the comedies, tragedies, all the antic and contemporary dramas that you have presented us. Bur, this recognition also represents an encouragement to continue creating, nurturing art, which does not distinguish languages, borders or divisions. The art is one and universal, and you are a part of it,” said President Ivanov to the representatives of the Turkish Theatre at the awarding ceremony.

What made us really proud, highlighted the President, is that the long-year fruitful work of the Turkish Theatre best shows that in Macedonia there is a respect for the fellow citizen and inclusion of the best features from the system of values of the other.

“That is the power of our country - that requires everyone to show tolerance and respect for the culture of the others. The fact that the Turkish Theatre in Macedonia is the first and still the only professional theatre in Europe that operates in Turkish language outside of Turkey, proves this statement,” President Ivanov underlined.

The Director of the Turkish Theatre – Skopje, Atila Klinche, has shared the impression that the Order of Merit for Macedonia, as the highest recognition the Turkish Theatre has ever received, represents great honor and priceless motivation for all the generations of artists that have been part of the theatre.

The Turkish Theatre – Skopje this year marks 60 years of existence. So far the theatre has received many awards in the country and abroad, among which around dozen for best director, best male and female role, best young actor, also the awards “13 November”, "11 October" and many more.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with representatives of the Bosniak ethnic community in the Republic of Macedonia, led by Mr. Avdija Pepikj, on the eve of tomorrow’s International Day of Bosniaks.

The meeting focused on the contribution of the Bosniak ethnic community in the Republic of Macedonia as an important segment in the physiognomy of the state, as a multiethnic society in which tolerance and dialogue as universal values have a deep tradition.

President Ivanov stressed that, as a country, we remain committed to the goal to enable development and promotion of Bosniak culture and tradition, as well as of all cultures and traditions in the Republic of Macedonia.
 

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today had a meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Slovenia, Major General Alojz Steiner. 

Main discussion topic was Macedonian and Slovenian army cooperation, as well as possibilities for its expansion and improvement. The interlocutors concluded that there is a high level cooperation between the two armies, which is also demonstrated by the bilateral military exercise “Challenge 2011” set to begin tomorrow at the army field “Krivolak”. 

According to the Chief of Staff of the Slovenian Army, Steiner, both armies are faced with the same challenges, including their modernization, but through the intensive cooperation which lasts for 15 years, both sides have opportunity to exchange practices and experience and learn a lot.  

President Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the Republic of Slovenia’s strong support for full-fledged membership of the Republic of Macedonia in NATO and the European Union, as well as for active promotion and usage of the army field Krivolak as a regional training centre. He also expressed hope that the cooperation between the two friendly countries shall continue in future with the same momentum.

The meeting was also attended by the Chief of Staff of the Macedonian Army, Major General Gorancho Koteski and the Minister of Defence, Fatmir Besimi.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today awarded pianist Simon Trpcheski with the title “National Artist of the Republic of Macedonia”. This recognition is awarded for the first time in the Republic of Macedonia. 

At today’s awarding ceremony, President Ivanov said Trpcheski has celebrated Macedonia in the world through the piano, proving that this is a country of exceptional artists.

"By declaring Trpcheski as the first national artist we demonstrate our commitment to art and permanent values of music among peoples and communities. Art knows no divisions, being the best architect of coexistence and joint future of nations and communities. Artists were, are and will be the heralds of peace, tolerance and understanding. Through art, they overcome all borders and misunderstandings, making the impossible possible", said President Ivanov, adding that by awarding Trpcheski the recognition of national artist, we send him into a mission of building friendships in Macedonia, but also between the country and the world.

"Macedonia is a mother that has always produced great people who changed the world, individuals who enlightened, created and left behind permanent values. We are proud that one of those great sons of Macedonia is Simon Trpcheski", added President Ivanov.

The Minister of Culture, Elizabeta Kancheska-Milevska, noted that with this title, following the example of many countries in Europe and the world, Trpcheski’s efforts are permanently acknowledged. He managed to establish high level communication with cultural events worldwide, never forgetting Macedonia, his Macedonian roots and his audience.

Trpcheski dedicated the award to his family. During the hot days of August, as he said in his speech, he was at home, practicing tirelessly. 

“Great effort is needed for a work of art to see the light of the day; it is a great responsibility and pride to be seen by thousands of people. The path I have walked through to become what I am today was not easy at all. It was a thorny path to reach the stars. I grew up in a modest family, in a warm atmosphere, in a narrow space but surrounded by the biggest hearts in the world, with lots of love and music. I inherited the musical talent from my father, he was the one who believed most in my success and ever since the beginning of my career he visionary predicted my development. He did all his best and was zealous in his efforts to enable my progress. This recognition would be to his greatest satisfaction”, said Simon Trpcheski.

Open your mind and think beyond the patterns. It is the only way for you to come to new ideas and find new solutions. If you cannot establish large corporations, then you should establish small and medium enterprises, but with new ideas and innovations. That was the message of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, at the opening of the new cycle of the national Best Business Plan Contest for secondary schools in Macedonia, held at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Skopje.

Young entrepreneurs, as President stressed, should not be satisfied only with obtaining knowledge and information. Obtained knowledge should be used creatively to produce new technological knowledge and apply it in practice.

”It is the only way that you can be competitive in the labor market and be ahead of your peers in the region and in the world”- the President conveyed this message to the young entrepreneurs. According to him, the entrepreneurial spirit should be instigated at the earliest age, built during the secondary education and upgraded in the higher education.

The traditional competition for best business ideas, President Ivanov said, slowly but surely is building up a new generation of Macedonian entrepreneurs the Macedonian economy will rely on in future. 

The new cycle of this contest for secondary schools, according to the principle of work, begins with a train-the-trainers course for the professors teaching entrepreneurship. Then, they organize in their respective schools internal competitions, select and appoint best teams for the national contest. The final contest is held in May.

The Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Atanas Kochev, considers that the real gain for the country is well prepared staff trained by professors in the secondary schools and universities. “All foreign investors seek first for well-trained staff. Therefore, together we need to build new and well-trained engineers who will meet the challenges of the technological development in the world”, Dean Kochev said.

Besides the secondary schools, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the National Centre for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for already five years, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, organize best business plan contests for graduate students. This year’s fund for participants up to 30 years of age is 21.000 Euros for the ten best business plans. Past contests resulted in opening of 40 start-up companies that are united in a Business Start-up Center. Before the start of the contest, today, there was a mini fair and the representatives had chance to present themselves. They also presented their ideas, services and achievements to President Ivanov, who visited the fair. At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, President Ivanov got acquainted with the work of the recently opened laboratory for innovation.