The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with representatives of the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia, on the occasion of marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the organization.

The representatives of the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia informed President Ivanov about the current and future activities of the organization, about the results achieved in the improvement of the position of the blind, especially in terms of education and employment.

President Ivanov expressed his support for the activities implemented by the National Association of the Blind and noted that he will continue to strive for the promotion of the rights of the blind, both through improvement of legislation and through its consistent implementation.

"The state and society as a whole must take continuous and systematic care for the blind. It requires a common and coordinated approach through specific mechanisms for promotion of their rights and their position. Especially important is the engagement of local institutions, municipalities, as well as the support to the families of the blind", the Macedonian President said at the meeting.
The representatives of the National Association of the Blind expressed gratitude to President Ivanov for his overall support and his personal commitment to people with disabilities and expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with state institutions.

"In the past 5-6 years we have incredible and fruitful cooperation with all institutions in the Republic of Macedonia. A day care center for pre-school children is opened and many other projects aimed at promoting the rights of the blind are being implemented", Koce Dimov from the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia said. He stressed that in the future their organization will focus on drafting a law on dogs - guides and organization of care center for retired blind people.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary, which is organized under the motto "70 years Vision of Light", the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia awarded President Ivanov with the "Golden Plaque", which is the highest award of the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia and is awarded for special merits for improvement of the rights of this category of citizens.

The main objective of the National Association of the Blind of the Republic of Macedonia, which was founded in 1946, is creation of better conditions of life and work of blind persons in our country. The organization includes more than 2,550 blind and visually impaired persons from all over the Republic of Macedonia.