Respected citizens of the Republic of Macedonia,

At the outset, on my personal behalf and on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, I would like to express deepest condolences to the families of the deceased police officers. Zarko Kuzmanovski, Nenad Serafimovski, Saso Samojlovski, Boban Ivanovik, Goran Ilijevski, Isamedin Osmani, Goran Stojimenovik and Ljubisa Arangelovik gave their lives to the Republic of Macedonia.

May their memory be eternal!

The meeting of the Security Council of the Republic of Macedonia that has just ended, besides the Security Council members, was attended by representatives of the political parties SDSM, DUI and DPA, expressed strongest condemnation for the violation of order and security by individuals and groups whose aim is destabilization of Macedonia.

The public will be additionally informed about the conclusions of the Security Council meeting. All competent institutions in the field of security were given precise directions for taking adequate actions within their legal competences.

The intention for coordinated terrorist attacks on various locations in the country aimed at causing serious destabilization, chaos and fear is prevented. The action taken by the police also aimed to prevent civilian casualties. Because of this, there are human and material losses.

In the past period, I had regular and emergency security consultations regarding the intent of this group, and it was found that this group has no ideological and political support in the Republic of Macedonia and in the region. We were aware that the group consisted of extremely criminal individuals with exceptional military experience and skills. At no time and in no way did we underestimate them, neither the possibility nor the intention and the capacity of the group to commit terrorist attacks. Therefore, their neutralization required an action with such a scope. Unfortunately we have paid the highest price with human lives.

About this group, earlier in 2015, we have informed in writing 17 partner services in the EU and NATO member states, as well as in the countries in the region. I can conclude that the exchange of information for the purpose of preventing the intentions of the group did not yield results.

Respected citizens,

The Republic of Macedonia these two days experiences exactly what I warned of several months ago, in my address to the Security Council at the United Nations.

The perpetrators and all those involved in this terrorist act will pay dearly for what they tried to do to the Republic of Macedonia and to its citizens.

I want to acknowledge clearly the following – we will not allow escalation of tensions. We are doing whatever is necessary to avoid destabilization of the state and disruption of interethnic relations.

In this, we need the help from you, the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. We need patience, restraint and wisdom.
In this, we need the support of the leaders of the political parties – they need to act responsibly and be at the height of the expectations of the citizens.

In this, we need the support of the media – they need to be at the expected level of professionalism and responsibility.

Finally, in this, we will need the support of the international community. For years, I have been warning that the status quo in the Euro-Atlantic integrations results in frustrations in the political and inter-ethnic life and makes us vulnerable and susceptible to attempts of destabilization.

I ask the international community, the European Union and NATO, with the greatest seriousness, to engage and find a way to unblock the Euro-Atlantic integration for the sake of the Republic of Macedonia and the entire region.

In this regard, I urge the overall Macedonian society, and particularly the political leaders, to accede to political dialogue, to overcome all weaknesses continually noted by the European Commission.

The political dialogue is long gone in the country. It is high time the leaders of the political parties begin discussions and seek solutions to the political crisis.

I sincerely regret that such moments came so that we sit together and talk. That is what the citizens expect from us.

The narrow-party interests must be overcome. We must be united over the highest objectives - stable, prosperous, European and Euro-Atlantic Macedonia. May personal and inter-party confrontations stop for this sake! We have witnessed their effect.

There is no excuse for anyone who does not act in compliance with these objectives.

Commendable is today's presence of the leaders and representatives of the parties at the Security Council meeting, when essential issues for every country and its security were being discussed.

There has to be responsibility for the situation in the Republic of Macedonia, for everything that has been done, for anything that has not been done but should have been done.

I call upon the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia to reason and patience, not to succumb to provocations. I assure you that everyone will be held liable.

The Republic of Macedonia has been a factor of stability and cooperation in the region and a role model of inter-ethnic coexistence.

It must not be violated.

We have to move forward, not backward, because the Republic of Macedonia is the only joint homeland we have.

Thank you.

Distinguished attendees,
Dear colleagues,
Dear friends,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak at the third Global Forum in Baku that provides a space for open dialogue on some of the most important topics of the present.

When we talk about the European Union and its neighborhood, it is necessary to recall the true meaning of the Union. The main narrative of the European Union is that enemies become friends, and that by opening the space we create people with open minds, ready for dialogue, mutual understanding and respect. Europe should become a space of peace, freedom and respect for diversity, development and prosperity for our, and for future generations. This is part of the vision for a European Peace – Pax Europeana.

With its enlargement policy, the European Union was long a lighthouse that threw light on the way of the countries of Eastern and Southeast Europe towards the progressive European family. On this occasion, I would like to remind you of the great promises we were given at the visionary Thessaloniki Summit in 2003: By 2014, on the 100th anniversary of the First World War, the entire Balkans should be part of the European Union.

Similar to this, the narrative of the European neighborhood policy was to overcome barriers and help European neighbors achieve European standards and prosperity. Democracy, human rights, rule of law, market economy and sustainable growth, increased mobility, communication and dialogue.

Eastern Partnership is the eastern dimension of the European neighborhood policy. The partnership was supposed to create conditions for accelerating the political and economic integration between the Union and the interested partner countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine. It was supposed to enable a peaceful resolution of conflicts on the basis of the principles and standards of international law, as well as to assist in building trust and dialogue between the parties.

The end goal was to help, through reform, in the realization of the joint commitments for stability, security and prosperity of the Union, its partner states and the entire European continent.

The Euro-Mediterranean Union, on the other hand, was supposed to promote economic integration and democratic reforms in the countries of Northern Africa and the Middle East. To help stimulate economic growth, creation of new job posts and reduction of the unemployment rate. The goal was to transform the Mediterranean in an area of peace, democracy, cooperation and prosperity. The non-European part of the Mediterranean was supposed to be European in everything but geography.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The goal of all of these policies of the Union, among other things, is to lead to prosperity. The word prosperity originates from the Latin prosperitas, which contains the words hope and success. Today, it is not easy to talk about hope or success, and with it, about prosperity as well.

Let us begin with the enlargement policy. Instead of the promises from Thessaloniki, we have witnessed a stagnation in terms of enlargement these past years.

For ten years now, the Republic of Macedonia has been left in the waiting room of the European Union; not because it does not meet the conditions to open negotiations, but because of the blockades imposed by our Southern neighbor.

By postponing the enlargement, the European Union seems to be postponing our hope. By postponing our hope, the Union demotivates us and creates frustrations in Macedonian society, instability in the political life and tensions in interethnic relations. As a result of this, we now find ourselves blocked even because of the consequences of the originally imposed blockade.

However, Macedonia is not the only one to suffer the consequences of the postponed enlargement process. Kosovo is facing mass migration, while Bosnia and Herzegovina faces instability.

The European neighborhood policy has been seriously disrupted.

Instead of the expectations that the Eastern Partnership will help the partners in achieving prosperity and bring them closer to European standards, today we have a new armed conflict on European soil and a situation reminiscent of the Cold War.

Instead of the fixed goals of the Euro-Mediterranean Union for a Mediterranean as an area of peace, democracy, cooperation and prosperity, the Arab Spring happened and threw Northern Africa into instability.

It is clear that the European Union is still looking for its rightful place in the international order. Due to the lengthy decision-making process and lack of coherence, the Common Foreign and Security Policy has still not passed the test of time.

Here with us I see some of my colleagues from the region. The following dilemma comes to mind: Does the European Council appear to look more and more as the Presidency of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia?

Excellencies,

Global threats are also threats to the European Union. Everything that happens in areas of crisis is reflected in Europe.

We are witnessing, on a daily basis, the recruitment and radicalization of foreign terrorist fighters from Member States of the Union, who then fight in the battlefields in crisis regions not far away from us.

Let us not forget the global economic crisis because of which the Union is facing challenges regarding the stability of the eurozone.

We are aware that today, the European Union, but also Europe in general, is not a military, nor an economic superpower. However, it is definitely a superpower in terms of lifestyle. This is the reason why Europe has been the desired destination of millions of people from the non-Western world.

Due to the demographic challenges many European peoples are facing, European economic competitiveness at the global level depends increasingly on immigrants, who represent a large portion of the working population and are becoming the moving force of European economy. Most frequently, these are people of different ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural affiliation.

Every European country will be more and more multiethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a sustainable model of integration of the numerous immigrants. Perhaps, in the present of multiethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious Macedonia, looms the future of Europe.

Let us summarize. The European Union, being a peace project, functions well in times of peace, but not quite as well in conditions of crises and conflicts. The answer of the dilemma regarding the European Union and its neighborhood lies in the Union itself. Therefore, the first question we should answer is: Does the European Union have the mechanisms to respond to these challenges? Can the European Union continue to provide hope for success, and thus be a moving force of prosperity?

Thank you.

Distinguished attendees,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here at the 18th Euro-Asian Economic Forum in Istanbul. I would like to thank our hosts – the Marmara Foundation for their dedication to important topics. And I believe that there is no other alternative, because we meet in an environment that inspires and motivates us to reflect on important issues in Euro-Asia.

Distinguished attendees,

We are well aware that Istanbul has an exceptionally important historic role – to be the civilizational and economic bridge for cooperation between Europe and Asia, between the West and the East. However, let us not forget that this role was not given to it by the people, but rather by geography. Geography is a scenarist and director, but also a podium on which overall human history happens. States grow and diminish, but geography in its physical sense, remains unchanged. It influences the destinies of states and peoples.

Geography determines the conditions, tempo and dynamics of communication, cooperation and exchange among people.

When people, led by their need of communication, adapt to geography, to the mountains and valleys, to the rivers and seas - then corridors emerge. Corridors, on the other hand, lead to opening space. Open space then creates people with open minds, people who respect and accept diversity. Open space is a precondition to peace and wellbeing.

Corridors are the courses of capital and globalization ideas.

The first globalization of culture and religion, economy and trade arrived via the ancient Silk Road. This historical road whose northern branch was first paved by Alexander the Great, finished here in Istanbul, known in the past as the second Rome.

This second Rome was connected to the first Rome by another road – the Via Egnatia that passed through Macedonia as well. As part of the great economic, cultural and civilizational corridor, the Silk Road and Vie Egnatia represented the main links between the East and West for centuries.

The economic and cultural benefits of this corridor were felt from the Yellow Sea to the Mediterranean, from China to the Balkans. Art, religion, philosophy, technology, languages, science, architecture and all other elements of civilization were exchanges between Europe and Asia through this very corridor.

This corridor not only created open space, but also fed it with new ideas and concepts, new knowledge and experiences. Thanks to the corridor, open space became the nursery of diversity. The corridor contributed to bringing distant ideas closer, and respecting and accepting foreigners as neighbors.

This is the reason why we can say that Istanbul is the child of geography who grew feeding itself with the fruits of the corridors. And through Istanbul, both the Balkans and Europe prospered economically and culturally.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I often say that those who communicate are integrated. Those who do not communicate become ghettoized.

For more than 20 centuries men have been developing and expanding communication routes, adapting to the geographic reality.

However, the 20th century was the century of human rebellion against geography. Communication and economic corridors were cut with hard-to-break political borders which branched more and more, thus dividing the open space.

Interruption of dialogue and communication in the 20th century had two negative consequences.

Firstly, many centers found themselves reduced to peripheries. Natural economic flows built and developed throughout the centuries were abruptly stopped.

Industrial and technological and information revolution created a new global economy and formed a new world order featuring a planetary acceleration of capital and economic growth.

However, the absence of fundamental moral and ethical principles in part of the most powerful economic centers exposed the vulnerability of this order. The fall of Lehman Brothers in 2008 marked the beginning of the world economic and financial crisis, followed by the European credit and debt crisis. For many states and regions in Europe and the world, these seven years were the years eaten by locusts. We know that almost always, economic crises have been forerunners of conflicts.

Secondly, many open spaces became divided and ghettoized areas, possessed by fear, prejudice and xenophobia, which have not been overcome until this very moment.

The absence of communication has had its consequences on three continents.

In Asia, the ghost of barbarism awoke. Led by their fatal ideology, foreign terrorist fighters are destroying the diversity of the Middle East. They are trying to impose, forcefully and by intimidation, their somber vision of a state that is Middle Age by order and modern by the weapons in its possession.

In Africa, we are witnessing atrocious crimes committed daily by members of Boco Haram and the similar.

In the absence of dialogue, which means mutual communication, Europe is facing recidivism of its old illness – xenophobia.

The least common denominator of radical extremism and xenophobia is intolerance towards diversity. It is the same diversity that used to flourish in open space thanks to the corridors.

Instead of enjoying the benefits of civilization, science, technology, we are now witnessing the world taking a step back. Politics is wrapped in prejudice. Fear has become a major factor in creating politics. And we all know very well that there is no worse adviser than fear.

Distinguished attendees,

Today, we are again learning two important lessons:

First, that man is destined to communicate, to cooperate and exchange spiritual, intellectual and material values.

Second, that capital is like water. And we know that water never flows upwards and prefers the route of least resistance. This is especially true in our era of great challenges, in a time of accelerated global race for competitiveness.

In a time of global financial and economic crisis, it is not easy to satisfy the needs and expectations of citizens in terms of economic prosperity. Citizens measure the success of their governments by the number of foreign investments, new job posts and quality of living. Therefore, world governments have learned the importance of economy, cooperation and partnership with the business communities. States have realized the importance of regional infrastructural and energy projects.

Today, we see the Silk Road being revived. Its economic cost-efficiency is best proven by the most important moving forces of globalization – the business communities. Businessmen are the most reliable and vocal ambassadors of the globalized world.

Macedonia has accepted the challenge and stepped in this global race. Since then, we have progressed in several economic, business and investment aspects.

Through continuous reforms, we have paved the way for capital flow. We have reduced and flattened taxes; we balanced public finances with a low budget deficit, a stable foreign exchange course and low public debt. We have had long term macroeconomic stability. With the so-called Regulatory Guillotine, we cut most of the legal and administrative barriers that could appear on the way of potential investors. I believe that you are already familiar with the high assessments of Macedonian economy.

But I am convinced that the modern Silk Road will bring not only economic progress. This revived corridor will also contribute to the connection of states and economies and recreation of an open space inhabited by people with open minds. The Silk Road, just like any other corridor that connects, should be our road to peace.

Thank you.

Distinguished attendees,
Dear friends,

We are here today thanks to the vision of one man. He witnessed the bloody battlefield near Solferino where, on June 24, 1859 the major European powers clashed. The price of that battle was paid by almost 30.000 people. Left without elementary medical assistance, a huge part of the wounded soldiers succumbed to their injuries. Those who survived bore the scars from the battlefield for the rest of their lives.

Faced with the terror of Solferino, Henry Dunant organized local population to help the wounded.
After his return to Switzerland, he appealed for the creation of an army of trained volunteers whose main aim would be to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever they are. With this, the International Committee of the Red Cross was established.

Dear fellow citizens,

Just like Henry Dunant, we all have our own Solferino. For some, it might be a natural disaster; an injury in a traffic accident; a neighboring family having lost the roof over their heads or a homeless beggar.

Faced with our Solferinos, we are all put to the great test: Will we help or run away; will we give or take; will we take a look or turn our heads the other way. And if we decide to take a look, will we see in that suffering man an aim that requires a humane responde, or a means to achieving another, selfish goal.

That is the moment that tests our bravery, our love, our humanity. That is the moment in which we find out whether we have played our role here on Earth with dignity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we have with us the people who have been successfully passing the test of humanity in the Republic of Macedonia for seven decades now.

Seventy years ago, Macedonia came out of World War II free, but devastated. The population was finally liberated from the occupiers, but not from the traumatic consequences of the atrocious war. Thousands were wounded, ill, emaciated, displaced, lonely, lost...

It is in these critical moments the Red Cross of Macedonia was born and brought new hope to the hopeless and strength to the emaciated.

When, back in 1963, in only a few seconds Skopje became a city of tents instead of a city of houses; when entire families disappeared and whole quarters were wiped off the face of the Earth, the Red Cross was the first to help the injured and provide shelter to the homeless.

Even today, while our fellow citizens are suffering the consequences of the inundations throughout our country, again the Red Cross is on the field, tirelessly helping them by providing with all necessities. The Red Cross is a pillar without which it would be very difficult for the state institutions to fulfill their responsibility as regards the citizens.

This organization is omnipresent and available to everyone, expressed through the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntarism, unity and universality.

The Red Cross is always prepared to help reactively, but also to cooperate with other stakeholders who should be prepared to act preventively.

By passing the test of humanity and self-sacrifice, the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia has gained the trust of Macedonian citizens and has thus become their extension of solidarity.

Dear friends,

Human life is priceless, and human dignity is immeasurable. Therefore, there is no price great enough in this world to express the true meaning of every individual act of humanity.

No matter how prestigious, the three Nobel Peace Prizes and many national and international recognitions are only mirrors that reflect the indescribable gratitude to the people of the International federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

This is why we are thankful to the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia for every human gesture, each drop of blood gifted, every meal shared and every human life saved. We are thankful to the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia because it reminds us of our duty to be human.

Humanity does not start when proper conditions have been created or when circumstances allow. Humanity begins right after we hear that someone needs help, regardless of their ethnic, religious, linguistic, social or any other affiliation. Humanity cannot be taught. It is a God given privilege, and it is up to us to cherish and promote it.

Humanity does not start with declarations, statements and conventions, but with the self-sacrifice of compassionate men and women ready to help the injured, the ill and the hungry, everywhere and at all times.

Dear fellow citizens,

With all their acts, the generations of members and volunteers of the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia are fulfilling Dunant's noble vision. They are, however, doing even more.

They encourage us to compete in doing good.
They challenge us to compete in kindness, because we need kindness today more than ever before.

True kindness goes beyond any divisions, it wipes away all differences and shuts down all malicious and hypocritical remarks. True kindness unites.

Therefore, I invite you to greet them and thank them with an applause.

As President of the Republic of Macedonia, but above all as a man, I invite all those who can volunteer - to enter the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia. And those who can allocate funds or other resources, to do it. Of all the human sufferings so far, it is high time for us to learn that it is necessary to act preventively. Let us all together help the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia to continue being our hope for humanity.

With these words, on behalf of all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, I wish to congratulate the Red Cross on its anniversary. I wish we would be stronger and more united in every future challenge.

Thank you.

Distinguished attendees,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As President of the Republic of Macedonia, it is an honor to be today with you at the Crans Montana Forum. This is a forum whose aim is to build trust and open discussions on important and current topics. We live in a world that urges us to cooperate and exchange, not only material goods, but also ideas, values and experiences. Therefore, I would like to congratulate Ambassador Jean Paul Carteron on what he is doing for Europe, Africa and the world.

Excellencies,

Neither Europe nor Africa are closed – on the contrary, they are open worlds. Openness has enabled the intertwining of various cultures and civilizations and their mutual enrichment both in Europe and Africa.

Openness has also enabled us in Macedonia to create an authentic symbiosis of Eastern and Western values. By living in an open space, our ancestors have developed a tradition of cohabitation and respect, as well as acceptance of diversity in all spheres of life – culture, economy, politics.

We have remained consistent with this legacy. Today, the Republic of Macedonia is leading a foreign policy of openness to all of those willing to cooperate. This has been our approach in both politics and economy. We belong to Europe, but also to the world throughout which we have our friends. Our strategic goals are membership in NATO and the European Union - however, we are not renouncing the possibilities of deepening our cooperation with all well-intentioned countries.

Same goes for Macedonia economy which is open to foreign investors. With comprehensive reforms, in conditions of global economic crisis, we have managed to create a favorable business environment for foreign investments. This has also been featured in the relevant global reports. According to the World Bank Doing Business Report, for several consecutive years, Macedonia has been ranked as the best reformer country in Southeast Europe and the third best reformer country in the world. In 2014, Macedonian economy had the second best result in Europe featuring an economic growth of around 4 per cent. Macedonia was ranked as the third economy in Europe in 2013, 2011 and 2010. The fall of our economy in the crisis period between 2009 and 2012 was the least as compared to all other countries in Southeast Europe. All of the abovementioned is due to our openness and direct approach.

Direct contact is unsubstitutable. Therefore I am very pleased that today I am accompanied by renown businessmen from Macedonia who are here to discover the possibilities for cooperation with the business community in Morocco.

However, openness is impossible without trust. One of the main topics of this year's forum is the promotion of dialogue between Africa, the Maghreb and Europe. I believe that this is part of an ever bigger story – dialogue among religions, cultures an civilizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

More than ever before, we stand before the danger of seeing the world enter in a new whirlpool of violence, and that of the worst kind - violence in the name of God and in the name of religion.

We all know very well that we have not forgotten the past, but we also know that we have learned almost nothing from it.

The lack of respect for international law and the judgments of the International Court of Justice introduce uncertainty and insecurity in international relations.

We see again the shadows of prejudice, intolerance, xenophobia and other forerunners of conflicts. Global media air is so polluted with doubts that it almost suffocates us. Doubts and fear are a result of the absence of dialogue.

However, fear itself is a bad adviser since in its essence, it is negative. We know that throughout history, only determined people with positive aims were able to realize their intentions.

This is why back in 2003, we initiated the first Forum of the Dialogue among Civilizations as the forerunner of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. We plan to renew the Dialogue in cooperation with UNESCO and the European Union. We will also organize the Fourth World Conference on Interreligious and Intercivilizational Dialogue.

Dialogue among various religions and views ends where their diversity begins. The aim of dialogue is not and must not be overcoming, but instead respecting and accepting diversity. If we do not support dialogue, we will slowly but surely move towards a clash of religions and civilizations. This is why we strongly support the work of the Alliance of Civilizations and all forums, like Crans Montana, whose work contributes to building trust and dialogue.

We firmly believe that only through dialogue and sincere familiarization we will be able to reach sustainable peace. Peace among religions and civilizations will mean peace in the world.

We are aware that perhaps sustainable peace among religions and civilizations is just a nice dream. But we must never forget that without these nice dreams, nightmares will take over the power in the world.

It is our responsibility, with all our actions, to help future generations in Europe, Africa and Asia to make this dream come true.

Thank you.