The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a congratulation letter to Mr. Ilir Meta on the occasion of his election as President of the Republic of Albania.

Distinguished Mr. Meta,

It is my great honor and special pleasure, on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and on my personal behalf, to extend my sincere congratulations on your election as President of the Republic of Albania, and wish you much success in carrying out this responsible office.

I avail myself of this opportunity to express my belief that, with joint efforts and commitment, we will continue to build the good-neighborly relations, to strengthen the relations of friendship on the basis of shared respect, mutual trust and support. I also believe that we will work on promoting and deepening of the cooperation in the interest of our countries and peoples and in the interest of the prosperity and welfare of our region. Be confident in my full readiness in this regard.

With best wishes for further professional success, good health and personal happiness, please accept, Mr. Meta, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, was awarded the prize "His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia" for 2016, which will be presented to him by the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill in May, at a ceremony in Moscow.

The award is granted by the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations for outstanding activity in strengthening the unity of Orthodox peoples and the establishment and promotion of Christian values in life and society.

Award winners for 2016, despite President Ivanov, are the Head of the Coptic Church, Patriarch Tawadros II and the Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin.

The prize awarding ceremony is expected to be held on May 23, 2017, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
The prestigious international award which is awarded to President Ivanov is recognition of his efforts in strengthening the inter-Orthodox relations, the role of religion in society and establishing or strengthening the principles of religious tolerance.

Holders of this award are heads of states, governments, parliaments, heads of Orthodox churches, leaders of international organizations, prominent political and spiritual leaders, public figures, representatives of business community.

The International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations was established in 1995 with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

The main goal of the Foundation is to strengthen the spiritual unity between Orthodox peoples, to intensify and deepen the cultural and social cooperation of Orthodox communities and to promote Christian values in society.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, on the occasion of the great Christian holiday - Easter, sent a congratulation message to all Christian believers:
 

Allow me to extend my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the great Christian holiday – Easter to all Christian believers.
 

In the days when we celebrate the victor of death, let us remember that Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of salvation. With this act, the Savior gave us freedom in love, delivering us from death and granting us life. Therefore, Passover, which also stands for the resurrection of Christ, means crossover- compassion, a miracle of all miracles, a divine gift and blessing. To believe in the Son of God means to have unwavering hope and sincere repentance.
 

Congratulating you this great Christian holiday, I wish you good health, prosperity and spiritual peace. Easter is the most blessed day of all; thus I invite you all to ask for understanding, unity and brotherly love among the Christian people. Let us recall of the Gospel that teaches us the virtue of patience and suffering, of the supreme and constant love that conquered death and triumphed over evil.
 

I wish all Christian believers mutual respect, understanding and love in the heart through faith in God. Many happy returns to this holiday - Christ is Risen!
 

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mr. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on the occasion of the terrorist attacks in Tanta and Alexandria:

With deep sadness and a sense of resentment I received the news of the terrorist attacks on April 9 in Tanta and Alexandria and I sincerely regret the loss of lives in these criminal acts.

The attacks against the Christian community in Egypt are also an attack against freedom of religion, peaceful coexistence and unity in your country. Violence in the name of any religion is also violence against that religion. I strongly condemn these terrorist attacks and sincerely hope that while the Arab Republic of Egypt goes through these difficult times, the entire international community will work together in the fight against the evil and will thus intensify the existing cooperation against terrorism.

In these sad moments, let me extend, on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and on my personal behalf, my deepest condolences and wish the injured a speedy recovery. I want to assure you that the Macedonian citizens are with you and the friendly people of Egypt.

Please, Mr. President, convey the expressions of sympathy to the families of the victims.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov