The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today, after the death of Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Bronislaw Komorowski.

"With profound sadness I received the news of the death of the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, one of the leaders of "Solidarity" and the first democratic prime minister since the fall of communism, Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki. Allow me, Mr. President, in this mournful moment for you and for the Polish people, on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and on my personal behalf, to extend heartfelt condolences. Mr. Mazowiecki fought the struggle for freedom, democracy, human rights and human dignity beyond his native Poland, advocating for the dignity of states and nations that were making their very first steps towards democracy, including the Republic of Macedonia", is stated in the letter of condolences of President Ivanov to the Polish President Komorowski.

"I would like to assure you, distinguished Mr. President, that in the memories of the people of the Republic of Macedonia, the remembrance of Mr. Mazowiecki will remain engraved as a person, who, in his capacity as Special Representative of the United Nations for human rights, in the 1994 reports, asked the United Nations Security Council for immediate halt of the unfair Greek embargo against the Republic of Macedonia. At the dawn of our independence, Mr. Mazowiecki defended the right of the Macedonian citizens to self-identification and dignity. Please, Mr. President, convey the condolences to the friendly Polish people and to the Mazowiecki family", is stated in the letter of condolences of President Ivanov to the Polish President Komorowski.

After the death of Mazowiecki, President Ivanov today signed the Condolence Book at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Skopje.

Mazowiecki, in the capacity of Special Representative of the United Nations for human rights for the former Yugoslavia countries, promoted a positive attitude towards the Republic of Macedonia in the early years of its independence.

He, in 1994, asked the United Nations Security Council for immediate halt of the Greek embargo against the Republic of Macedonia and compensation of the losses for our country.

In 2002, in an interview with "Utrinski vesnik", Mazowiecki disputed the usage of the provisional reference for the Republic of Macedonia.

The decision Macedonia to be addressed with the reference "FYROM" is simply barbaric. It is simply impossible to have the word "former" in a title. The name cannot be "former republic", it cannot be the case. It does not exist anywhere", Mazowiecki said.

In 2006, Mazowiecki publicly congratulated and thanked the then US President George Bush for the decision to recognize the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia.

"If ten years ago there were no arguments to justify this absurd name, there are even less today! Since Macedonians have proven that they appreciate peace and stability, that they have no ambitions for great state, that they equally treat all its citizens, regardless of their nationality, that they want to cooperate with all neighbors, that they are ready for compromise, that they, though poor, are willing to help the poorer, that they fulfill the agreed. Do they need to prove more", Mazowiecki said in 2006.

In an interview with "Deutsche Welle" in 2012, on the occasion of his 85th birthday, Mazowiecki once again stressed his disagreement with the Greek opposition to Macedonia's constitutional name.

"Even then I realized why they humiliate that small country, denying its right to be called Macedonia. I think the Greeks in this matter are a little bit oversensitive, and the international community in general continues to humiliate Macedonia by agreeing with that artificial name. I disagree with that", Mazowiecki said for "Deutsche Welle" in 2012.

His positive stances regarding Macedonia, Mazowiecki reaffirmed in an interview with Croat "Jutarnji list" in 2012.

"I would also mention Macedonia, which continues to feel the consequences of this unfortunate conflict with Greece over its name. When I was writing my reports I always referred this state with the name Macedonia, but the Greeks regularly protested and asked to use the title "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". For me, the Greek position was a humiliation of that small and young country; it certainly would not be used if a big state was at stake. Such behavior is simply not good", Mazowiecki said in an interview with Croat "Jutarnji list" in 2012.