The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, on the occasion of the holiday of St. Clement of Ohrid, sent his congratulation note to the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, H.H. Stefan.

Your Holiness,
Let me extend, on my personal behalf and on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, to you personally, to the members of the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, as well as to all Orthodox believers in the country and abroad, my most sincere and cordial congratulations on the occasion of the great holiday of St. Clement of Ohrid.

The holiday dedicated to St. Clement of Ohrid, founder of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, founder of the first Slavic University, and spreader of Slavic literacy and culture, is a holiday that goes beyond national boundaries and has extreme importance for the European culture and civilization. Exactly the vision of St. Clement of Ohrid and his teachers, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, for bringing together of all nations and for building a prosperous, free and humane world is in the foundations upon which the human civilization rests.

The respect for and the observance of St. Clement of Ohrid is our national pride and lasting investment in a prosperous future.

May the work of St. Clement of Ohrid be our guide to the new temptations and challenges, and may it give us spiritual strength and wisdom to become stronger and nobler.

Many happy returns to this holiday!

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov