The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a letter of condolences to the President of the French Republic, Mr. Francois Hollande.

Respected Mr. President,

In shock, with deep sadness and feeling of grievance I received the news of the massacre in Paris and I sincerely regret the loss of lives in this criminal act. The attacks against "Charlie Hebdo" represent and are experienced as an attack on democracy, as an attack against the principles of freedom of thought and speech.

Mr. President, this heinous act done by individuals with closed minds, aimed at sowing fear and feeling of insecurity, whose victims are innocent people, will not waver in the persistence of the preservation of the shared human and civilization values and gains of the entire democratic world. The Republic of Macedonia strongly supports the global efforts to combat terrorism, and, as before, in the future stands ready to cooperate with the democratic world in dealing with this threat as one of the greatest evils of our time.

In these sad moments for you, for the citizens of your country and for the families of the victims, allow me to extend, on behalf of the Republic of Macedonia and on my personal behalf, my deepest condolences. I want to assure you that the thoughts of the Macedonians are with you and with the people of France.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a congratulation note to the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, H.H. Stefan and to all Christians on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ - Christmas.

Your Beatitude,

Let me extend to you personally, to all Orthodox Christians, to the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops, to the reverend clergy and monks, my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the great Christian holiday, Nativity of Christ - Christmas.

On this glorious day, we feel joy and gratitude towards the closest, being reminded that the greatest happiness is in the simple things, in the heat of the home and in the moments spent with our family and neighbors, in the noble deeds towards those who need our help, sharing kindness and mutual understanding. Christmas is a celebration of peace, harmony and celebration of unity. Celebrating the birth of Christ, we celebrate the unconditional love as that which a mother gives to a child; we celebrate victory over prejudice, differences and divisions. This holiday reminds us of the teachings of the God's son, to be humane, to share solidarity and be just. In the years to come, coexistence, mutual assistance and respect should be our guide, our hallmark and commitment.

Your Beatitude, congratulating you the great Christian holiday, I wish you good health and peaceful spiritual life. I wish the believers of the Orthodox Christian religion nice holiday atmosphere, surrounded by their loved ones and filled with joy.

Christ is Born!

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, on the occasion of the New 2015, pardoned 24 convicted persons, 3 of whom are fully acquitted, while the prison sentence for the rest 21 has been reduced.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, held a working meeting today with the heads of the diplomatic and consular representation offices of the Republic of Macedonia abroad, as part of the annual working meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the meeting, the first in his second term, President Ivanov called for proactive and increased engagement of the heads of diplomatic and consular representations in view of implementation of the set strategic foreign policy goals, such as the Euro-Atlantic integrations, good neighborly relations, regional cooperation, openness to all by strengthening the existing and creating new friendships and partnerships, involvement at multilateral level, economic and public diplomacy

"Our diplomacy must be in line with the changes in the world and you all know that in 2014 we witnessed tectonic shifts in the political scene globally", President Ivanov said.

A key task, according to President Ivanov, will have the ambassadors in the immediate neighborhood.

"Next year, I think , key task will have the ambassadors of our country in the immediate neighborhood. I would expect them to increase the cooperation activities. Our region has emerged out of the painful past, a period of confidence-building has been launched, but the decelerated momentum of integration has created a new reality and a new violation of the interests in the Balkans. In such a situation, we, in the region, must fully cooperate in all areas of common interest", President Ivanov said.

"At all the regional meetings I insist that the time has come when the declarativeness in regional relations must be sent in history. A new stage is necessary, with new needs for specific projects in the regional cooperation", President Ivanov said, adding that next year he plans to official visits to Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, as well as exchange of visits with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria. President Ivanov expressed hope for a positive shift in the bilateral relations with the new Greek President.

President Ivanov said that the Republic of Macedonia's membership in the European Union and NATO remains a top priority.

"Although the recommendation was not effectuated and we were not given a date for negotiations, as always, our shared responsibility is to continue, with the same pace, to work on the Euro-Atlantic agenda of the Republic of Macedonia", the Macedonian President said to the heads of the diplomatic and consular representation offices the Republic of Macedonia.

President Ivanov asked for maximum commitment from the Macedonian diplomats in the economic, public and cultural diplomacy.
"We need greater commitment of the Macedonian diplomacy aimed at uniting the Diaspora and overcoming the problems faced", the Macedonian President said to the diplomats.

President Ivanov urged for special attention and commitment to be dedicated to the position of the Macedonian national minority in certain countries where it is in an unenviable position.

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, sent a congratulation message to all Christian believers who celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar.

Dear All,

It gives me pleasure, in these festive days, to congratulate the celebration of the Nativity of Christ to all believers who celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar.

Christmas is a symbol of God's love, forgiveness and compassion that bear a new hope for a new beginning. This great holiday teaches us to follow the highest moral and ethical laws and act in accordance with the principles of truth.

Christmas is a time when we reconfirm our sincere commitments to fostering and celebrating diversity as the supreme value of the Macedonian multiethnic, multi-religious and multilingual society. A time that inspires us to contribute to peace, prosperity, happiness and overall progress of our homeland, Macedonia.

Congratulating the day of the nativity of Christ to all Macedonian citizens who celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar, may we all continue to convey the Christmas message of the truth of faith by which we live.

Christ is Born - the Truth is Born!

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, held a meeting today with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Dr. Ahmet Davutoglu.

The meeting discussed the further deepening of bilateral relations and intensification of cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey. Both interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the traditional friendship and partnership, as well as with the intensive communication and cooperation in all areas of common interest, as a confirmation of the excellent relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey.

Expressing gratitude for the strong and consistent support of the Republic of Turkey in terms of our strategic goals, membership in the European Union and NATO, President Ivanov stressed that the Republic of Macedonia highly appreciates the Turkish involvement and efforts on these issues.

The Macedonian President and the Turkish Prime Minister commended the economic cooperation, which is at the top of the agenda of bilateral relations, with an expectation for further intensification. Cooperation in defense and security, culture, tourism, education, and in international organizations was discussed.

In this context, President Ivanov expressed expectation for enhanced cooperation within the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, where the Republic of Turkey is a founding member.
President Ivanov and Prime Minister Davutoglu exchanged views and information on the situation in the region on issues of foreign policy interest of the two countries and discussed the need for greater cooperation between the security services of the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Turkey, in terms of dealing with the threat of foreign terrorist fighters.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Davutoglu, said that the Republic of Macedonia is an important friend and partner of the Republic of Turkey, and that, as before, the Republic of Macedonia can count on the unconditional support and assistance from the Republic of Turkey in the future, and added that our country, with its model of coexistence, is a positive example not only in the region but also beyond.