On the occasion of September 8, the Independence Day of the Republic of Macedonia and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a sovereign and independent state, many heads of state sent congratulatory messages to President Gjorge Ivanov. Below are the messages received by this date.

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama in his letter extends congratulations to the people of the Republic of Macedonia, stressing that September 8 is not only a day to reflect on the important progress that Macedonia has made in twenty years, but also a day to reenergize efforts to strengthen Macedonia’s multiethnic and democratic institutions. The United States values our great partnership and remains committed to working with you in support of our common goals, President Obama states in the letter.

The German President, Christian Wulff, in his message on the occasion of September 8, addressed to President Ivanov states - The path of your country towards European Union and NATO membership requires courage, reforms and long-term projections. Be assured that Germany will support your country as a partner. I wish happiness and prosperity in peace and freedom to you and to your people.

The President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, in his letter states that he is particularly satisfied with the quality of the relations between the two countries, hoping that the same will be further intensified. He expects that the cooperation will be further promoted not only bilaterally but also in the approximation of the country to Europe. - I wish progress for your country in resolving the name dispute with Greece, thus accelerating the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. This would be a guarantee for peace and prosperity not only for your country, but for the entire region.

Pal Schmitt, President of the Republic of Hungary, expresses his satisfaction that in recent years the relations between the two countries are developing very intensively. - I believe that your official visit to Budapest in April this year is a significant milestone in this process. In the realization of the efforts Macedonia to join NATO and the European Union, the Republic of Macedonia, as thus far, can count on my support. I sincerely wish your efforts in meeting the tasks ahead, to be crowned with success as soon as possible.

On behalf of all Canadians, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnson, offered his best wishes, stressing that the ties between Canada and Macedonia have grown steadily over the years and that the relationship will continue to flourish guided by our shared commitment to the values of prosperity, peace and good governance. – I applaud the progress your country has made on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration and I wish Macedonia continued success in achieving this goal. Rest assured of Canada’s unwavering support as Macedonia addresses the challenges ahead.

Mrs. Quentin Bryce, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, in her congratulatory letter, at the same time, stresses that she welcomes the continued number two-way visits by parliamentarians from both countries, which highlight the close people and cultural links between our nations. – I was pleased to see that the Parliamentary elections in June 2011 reserved 3 seats for the Diaspora and that the Australian candidate, Miki Dodevski, was elected to represent the community in Australia and Asia.
 
The President of the People’s Republic of China, Hu Jintao, in his congratulatory message to President Ivanov and to the friendly people of Macedonia, shares his view that the Chinese-Macedonian relations are developing steadily and that the cooperation in various fields marks positive results. - I am ready along with you to invest joint efforts in the spirit of the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, to continuously promote the Chinese-Macedonian relations.

The Romanian President Traian Basescu in his message states: I recall with satisfaction the constructive talks I had with you Mr. President during my visit to Skopje in 2010 and I want to assure you in Romania’s future strong support for achieving the strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO.
 
Ivan Gashparovic, President of the Slovak Republic, wishes to all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia stability, prosperity, overall development and European future of the country. – I am convinced that the friendly relations and cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Macedonia will further develop for the benefit of the nations and citizens of our two countries.

Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation, in her letter extends sincere congratulations to the President, the Government and the people of Macedonia, expressing confidence that the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries will continue to intensify in future.

His Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan, on the occasion of the Independence Day of Macedonia sent cordial greetings and sincere wishes for happiness and progress of Macedonian people. 

Sincere congratulations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Republic of Macedonia’s independence were sent by the Swedish king Carl XVI Gustaf and the Dutch Queen Beatrix.

The Algerian President sends cordial congratulations and hope for further successful development of bilateral relations, progress and prosperity.
 

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov received today the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Republic of Macedonia, resident in Sofia, H.E. Mr. Guillermo Salvador Azrak.

President Ivanov stressed that despite the geographical distance of the two countries, there is a common desire and great potential for more comprehensive and overall development and promotion of the relations and cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest, both at bilateral and multilateral level.

President Ivanov expressed Macedonia’s interest in intensifying and balancing the economic cooperation and trade, informing the new ambassador for the country’s efforts to continually create a favorable environment for foreign investment - free economic zones and their benefits, low taxes, free trade agreements with numerous countries. He emphasized the possibility the Republic of Macedonia to be the entering point for the Argentine goods in the region of Southeast Europe, with the benefits that the business community of the Argentine Republic could use.

Ambassador Azrak, in this regard said that he would do everything in his capacity to contribute to the strengthening of the economic ties between Macedonia and Argentina, pledging to encourage the Argentine business community and to actively represent the investment opportunities in the Republic of Macedonia. He also stressed that he would make efforts to further promote and strengthen the relations and exchange in the sphere of culture between the two countries.

President Ivanov and Ambassador Azrak stressed both countries’ full readiness to further intensify the bilateral relations and upgrade the cooperation by introducing new contents.

 

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, received today the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, resident in Sofia, H.E. Archbishop Janusz Bolonek.

President Ivanov stressed that the Republic of Macedonia and the Holy See nurture relations of mutual understanding and support and that our country continuously attaches special importance to the development of the relations and cooperation with the Holy See. The Holy See’s policy and the efforts at the international level affirming the moral values match the foreign policy orientations of our country. The Republic of Macedonia is a multinational, multicultural and multi-confessional state where dialogue, tolerance, respect for diversity are a centuries-old tradition. Our model of coexistence is our strongest asset in the international community. It is our investment to the regional stability and prosperity, President Ivanov said.

The newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, Archbishop Janusz Bolonek expressed high respect and admiration for the ethnic harmony and religious tolerance upon which the Republic of Macedonia is recognized. It is the key factor for peace, stability and social progress everywhere. He emphasized that, as Apostolic Nuncio, he will strive to further promote understanding and solidarity among people and would do everything in his capacity to further develop and deepen the traditionally good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Macedonia.

Archbishop Janusz Bolonek conveyed greetings of His Holiness - the Pope to the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian President reaffirmed the invitation and expressed interest in hosting the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Republic of Macedonia.
 

The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today received the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Macedonia, H.E. Cui Zhiwei.

President Ivanov, expressing satisfaction with the high level of relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the People’s Republic of China, stressed that Macedonia highly appreciates the independent peaceful foreign policy of China and its positive role in Asia and in the world. The Republic of Macedonia remains on its firm and principled position on the existence of one China. This is the position of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and this position will never be challenged, regardless of the political color, President Ivanov said. The Macedonian President said that we will never forget the support of the People’s Republic of China since the earliest days of our independence, and in particular the principled usage and attitude towards our constitutional name.

President Ivanov expressed Macedonia’s interest in increasing and boosting the economic cooperation, in intensifying the opportunities for presentation of the economic potentials of the Republic of Macedonia for attracting Chinese investments.

Ambassador Cui Zhiwei underlined that the People’s Republic of China highly appreciates the positive role of the Republic of Macedonia in the region, respects and supports the attainment of the strategic goals of the country. He expressed satisfaction with the continuing political dialogue at the highest level and stressed that the economic cooperation between the two countries in recent years marks an upward trend. Deepening and intensifying this cooperation will be on the top of his agenda during his mandate.

Both, President Ivanov and Ambassador Zhiwei, acknowledged and confirmed the established excellent cooperation at multilateral level.
 

On the occasion of the state holiday Ramadan Bairam, the President of Republic of Macedonia Dr. gjorge Ivanov extended greeting to the Head of the Islamic Religious Community in Republic (IRC) of Macedonia, Reis ul ulema Hadzi Suleiman Effendi Redzepi, to the Riyasette of the IRC, and to all Muslim believers in Republic of Macedonia.

Respected Reis ul ulema Hadzi Suleiman Effendi Redzepi,

It is a great honor on my behalf and on behalf of the citizens of Republic of Macedonia, to extend my greetings to you personally and to the all Muslim believers for the holiday Ramazan Bairam and the completion of the Ramazan fasts.

I wish you spend these festive days in happiness, joy and good health, in the circle of the family and your loved ones. Strong family and friendly ties remain to be the foundation of personal happiness and community success. Therefore the importance of these days is in the opportunity aside everyday obligations, to devote some time to the home and to the family.

I would like to highlight that our society has once again shown deep respect for the old and established traditions of shared life and friendship, where different religious communities acknowledge each other’s holidays with mutual respect. I was honored with the invitations I have received to attend several celebrations in this blissful period. The numerous examples for joint observance of the Ramazan fasts where citizens that do not belong to the Muslim faith also attend, has once again shown that Macedonia is a society that nurtures high humanistic traditions of which we can all be proud. 

Respected Reis ul ulema Hadzi Suleiman Effendi Redzepi, allow me once again to wish you personally, to the Riyasette members and to all Muslim believers, good health, happiness, joy and peaceful spirit.