Distinguished Guests,
Esteemed Excellencies,
Dear Friends,

It is my distinct honor and great pleasure to welcome you all in our spiritual and cultural capital, the ancient city of Ohrid. Before us is yet another summer devoted to art. Another Ohrid Summer Festival filled with music, drama, dance.

Distinguished Guests,

More than half a century “Ohrid Summer Festival” is a home of Macedonian, European and world art. An open house in which renown artists from all around the world keep coming back to share their moments of inspiration with the loyal audience. In the past decades, more than 10,000 participants from 56 countries have extinguished the thirst of the audience. Thirst for the aesthetic, beautiful and valuable. This would not have been possible without the generations of Macedonian artists and organizers who have left mark with their dedication. It is a venture worth of admiration, a venture that makes Macedonia especially proud.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Art beautifies life. And it enriches your soul. Every art requires courage. Just like love, which always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and, never fails. It is timeless, as is the story of Romeo and Juliet. And yet, timeless love is in need of timeless space. Space that binds past, present and future. Indeed, is there a more natural ambience for celebration of love than this centuries-old temple of art? Temple in which the citizens of Lychnidos were ennobled.

Dear Friends of Art,

In anticipation of the Shakespeare’s play directed by our famous playwright and director, Dejan Projkovski, recalling the words that “the whole world is a stage and all men and women merely actors ...” I declare this year’s “Ohrid Summer Festival” open!

Distinguished Attendees, Esteemed Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a distinct pleasure for me to be here today in Baku, at the prestigious Crans Montana Forum. A Forum which for more than twenty–five years gathers together people with outstanding achievements, people with a vision for the future and a mission for a better world. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the organizers for the invitation and to the hosts for their hospitality.

Distinguished Attendees,
Almost 380 years ago, faced with the inquisition pressure to abandon the claim that the Earth revolves around the sun, Galileo Galilei said quietly: “And, yet it moves...”. Today, we utter loud: The world does change. The question is whether we are changing with it? And if we change, whether we do it fast enough or we still preserve old habits? Whether we still let the habits of the past steal our present and even delay the future?

Global challenges we face enable us to recognize the contours of the future. And, indeed, the future is filled with contrasts and numerous risks and opportunities. Recently someone compared contemporary crises with wagons of one and the same train that brings troubles to the world. Today, we are here talking about two key challenges: combating poverty and improving public policy management. Challenges closely related and arising from the paradox of the 21st century – intertwining and connecting of the world goes along with its division and stratification in economic, political and cultural sense.

Esteemed Excellencies,
We live in a time when the gap between the global north and global south is widening, when globalization and information revolution change the world through the Internet. We live in a century just as urban as multicultural. Everyday, more than 200,000 people join the global urban population, which means that population of cities around the world is increased by more than 2 people every second. A good portion of these urban migrants are driven by poverty which affects individuals, families, communities and states. Poverty that is an inherent part of the equation of local and global problems the result of which leads to instability, social exclusion, isolation and conflict. Gandhi said that there is enough on our planet for everybody’s need but not enough for everybody’s greed.

Is there a universal, generally acceptable cure for poverty? Perhaps the answer is negative, but there are numerous solutions that can dramatically reduce poverty and give a decent life to the most affected ones. In the essence of these policies to combat poverty is the existence of generational responsibility, understanding that the present is actually a borrowed future.

One of the possibilities is education, which, if founded on solid grassroots, can get people out of poverty, develop their creativity and innovativeness. Investing in education, we actually invest in the future of youth. Today, the key that opens the door to good governance, that ensures that decision makers act consistently and responsibly, is in the information and communication technologies. Conditions have been established for “e-education”, “e-government” and even for “e-society”. By involving individuals, groups and institutions their potential, their imagination and capacity, is activated, which inevitably leads to new solutions, innovations and discoveries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Is this relevant for and how it affects the Republic of Macedonia? The three pillars upon which we build the future of the Republic of Macedonia are the three “E” - Europe, Economy and Energy. I believe that these three interdependent and closely related “E” are key to our development.

We remain committed to achieving our strategic goal - membership in the European Union and NATO. I believe that the peace project will not be complete without the membership of the Republic of Macedonia and of the other Western Balkan countries.

Paving the path towards European and Euro-Atlantic Macedonia, we are strongly focused on improving the overall economic situation in the country, on fight against poverty and unemployment by creating a favorable business climate, an environment for direct foreign investment.

The third “E” refers to energy. With this, we tackle the other key topic of this forum – Which energy for which world and future? How to fight against energy poverty?

Economic development which we are fully committed to is unimaginable without energy security and reliability. This applies to almost all countries in the world. It is also valid for the Republic of Macedonia. Today we are here in Baku, in one of the regions that abounds with oil and natural gas.

Indeed, Macedonia, as the other Balkan countries, is interested in joining energy corridors. Macedonia, as the other Balkan countries, wants to replace energy dependence with energy interdependence. Yet, we need energy diversification for that.

Our ultimate goal is Macedonia to be included on the international map of energy transport corridors. That will open us the opportunity to obtain cheap energy resources for our companies and households, and reduce the cost of our production. This is a concrete investment in energy and general economic stability and security of the country and of the region.

Thank you.

Respected Members of the Doctors’ Chamber of Macedonia,
Distinguished guests,

I have this special honor to be the patron of the ceremony of marking the 20th anniversary of the Doctors’ Chamber of Macedonia. As an independent professional organization of medical doctors, the Doctors’ Chamber has a particularly important role in exercising the rights and protection of its members, as well as in promoting health care. Thanks to the Doctors’ Chamber, doctors are constantly advancing in their respective fields of expertise and are encouraged to further develop their skills. Also, the Doctors’ Chamber of Macedonia takes essential care in respecting the ethic and legal norms in performing medical practice. Past work and the figure of approximately 7000 licensed physicians are an undoubted indicator of the success and achievements of the Doctors’ Chamber of Macedonia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Republic of Macedonia is intensively working on implementing the reforms in the health system which certainly require great commitment and involvement of physicians as the most important link in the health care system. Without motivated, dedicated and highly ethical doctors who are top professionals, it is not possible to have healthy nation. Thanks to the medical care, on a daily basis, you save lives of thousands of patients. With your humanity and with your high professionalism, you, the Macedonian doctors, are an example for other professions. With your expertise and skill, you prove that one can receive adequate and quality health services in the Republic of Macedonia. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for all your effort and dedication, for your humanity and ethics.

At the end, let me wish you further successful work and many anniversaries.

Thank you.

Distinguished participants, dear guests,
It is my special honor and great pleasure to have this opportunity to attend the opening of the 45th Summer School of the International Seminar on Macedonian Language, Literature and Culture organized by the University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” - Skopje. Thanks to this event, more than four decades, Macedonian language, literature and culture experience promotion and popularization among many participants coming from different parts of the world. Through this event, every year there are dozens and dozens of new admirers and lovers of the Republic of Macedonia and its culture, literature and language. Practically, with each participant, the Republic of Macedonia has a new friend and supporter who promotes further the Macedonian language, literature and culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is not necessary to talk much about the meaning of affirmation of the language and the culture for one country, one nation. They are the pillars of the identity of one nation, of one society. They are the means by which people are self-identified, by which they communicate with all the others, by which their existence and survival is confirmed. Irrational are the attempts in the 21st century to negate, deny and attack identity, language, culture. Unfortunately we, the Macedonian language, identity and culture, are facing such challenges such attempts. However, those are absolutely unsustainable and absurd attempts. For one’s own language, own identity, nobody in this world today talks to anyone, requires or expects approval and recognition. Whether this is appealing to someone or not, they are a reality, they exist, are nurtured and affirmed. They can only be ascertained and respected. Any attempt to negate, deny cannot change reality.

Dear guests,
At the beautiful Ohrid Lake, the place which is recognized as the Macedonian and European sanctuary, about eighty participants from 20 countries this year will speak the Macedonian language.

Often, when I am at the Ohrid Lake, I simply must stress that the thought born in this region is a thought freed from restraints and boundaries. A thought that is not tainted by materialism and egoism, but a thought filled with spirituality and humanism. Such a thought, such energy is also woven in our language, the language spoken by millions of Macedonians in Macedonia and abroad, the language spoken loud by thousands of our friends worldwide.

Blaze Koneski said that the language is our spiritual homeland. Homeland open to any visitor with positive attitude, to each guest and to everyone. The obligation to preserve and nurture our language is not just a debt to our ancestors and our descendants, it is not an obligation only to all Macedonians. It is an obligation and debt to all participants of this summer school and to all those who love, respect and cherish the Macedonian language. Indeed, it is an obligation and debt to the cultural heritage of human civilization, to the essence of human existence.

Distinguished guests,
Exactly you, with your interest in learning the Macedonian language, with your motivation and desire to study it, are real ambassadors of the Republic of Macedonia over the world. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for all your effort and commitment. At the end, let me wish you successful work during the summer school and certainly a pleasant stay in the Republic of Macedonia.

Thank you.

Distinguished Attendees, Esteemed Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

It is a distinct pleasure to be here today in Belgrade, on the 15th anniversary of the summits of this unique authentic and genuine Balkan initiative. I avail myself of this opportunity to express my gratitude to our host, President Nikolic, for organizing this important forum and to congratulate him on the recent assumption of the responsible office. At the same time, I would like to congratulate the Republic of Serbia on the past South East Europe Cooperation Process Chairmanship, which abounded with activities and important topics for our region.

Now more than ever, it is necessary that we all together make additional efforts for the regional cooperation. That is the only way we can overcome prejudice in the region and integrate our countries into the European Union. Prejudice that burdened the past, that limit the ability to live the present and can still be a threat for the future.

Distinguished Attendees,
We leave behind 15 years filled with political declarations and statements. 15 years of building mutual trust and feeling of togetherness. Certainly it has helped our region stabilize, restore the lost balance. Balance between past, present and future. Our countries lived too long in the past. We allowed our present to be stolen by the past and our future to be delayed. The South East Europe Cooperation Process has helped us regain our focus on the priorities we have set - European and Euro-Atlantic integrations.

In the joint statement of 1997, among the other things, it is stated: “We shall work together to create in our region conditions for the prosperity of our nations in a framework of peace, security, good neighborliness and stability...” and “to aspire to transform our region in an area of ​​cooperation and economic prosperity...” It is time for us to become architects of the future of our region.

Indeed, this implies less declarations and more work. Time has come for action. More specific actions rather than words are needed to achieve our common future. Isn’t it true that faith without deeds is vain? While other regions in the world are already living their future, competing and advancing in the field of science, technology, creativity and innovation, we have not yet achieved significant progress regarding many issues. We should be aware that time is flying, it is quickly leaking away.

Esteemed Excellencies,
Essential issues and challenges of today do not know and recognize isolating national boundaries. They do not know and recognize divisions on ethnic, religious or political grounds. Key challenges faced by our countries and societies are equal for all of us. Dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations, fight against organized crime, terrorism and proliferation, man to nature relationship, economic and social sustainable development, energy security, green economy development, water, climate change adaptation, are just some of the dilemmas faced by almost all countries in the world.

Hence the question arises: Whether, as a region, we should passively wait others to offer us solutions, or we should try together to find authentic, indigenous responses to the global challenges affecting Southeast Europe,? I believe we can.

Dear Friends,
Taking over the South East Europe Cooperation Process Chairmanship, the Republic of Macedonia remains committed to promoting the principles of good neighborliness and reconciliation in the region through European and Euro-Atlantic integrations. Among the priorities of the Macedonian Chairmanship will be cooperation in the field of economy and agriculture, culture and tourism, science and education, cross-border cooperation and environmental protection.

Next year in June I will have the honor to host this Summit. The Summit will focus on two topical and closely related issues of global importance: disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, as complementary concepts that are part of the same equation, the solution of which must be sought together. Climate change and disaster risk is a reality of today, but also a real threat for the future. A threat that can be removed only by respecting undertaken commitments and numerous efforts invested by us all. I am convinced that intensive regional cooperation in this field will help us build a region more resistant to natural disasters.

We will be practical in organizing the Summit. I take this opportunity to inform you that at the same time I will be hosting the 11th Annual Forum on Dialogue among Civilizations in cooperation with UNESCO and the Council of Europe, which will be focused on youth. I have no doubt that all our energy should be directed towards youth, towards creating youth for the future and future for the youth. Young people brought up in the spirit of dialogue, tolerance and respect for diversity. Thus we will be able to create a new generation of regional leaders prepared for the challenges and opportunities borne by the 21st century. I invite you with great pleasure to attend these two summits next year in Macedonia.

Thank you.

Distinguished Lions Clubs Members,
Esteemed Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation to address you today, here, in our spiritual capital Ohrid, the city that has been for centuries under protection of Samoil’s Fortress. The pleasure is even greater, because this, 9th consecutive Convention of Lions Clubs Walled Cities is organized on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Lions Clubs in Macedonia. 15 years filled with commitment to achieving the vision of Melvin Jones - a future in which successful individuals, businessmen and professionals put their talents and abilities for the good of the society.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are basically three categories of people: people who are unable or unwilling to see the problem or the challenge, people who see the problem, but since the problem was not caused by them personally, they leave the problem to others to solve it, and finally, there are people who are aware of the problem they have not caused, but stand ready to take responsibility for resolving it.

I am convinced that you, Lions Clubs members belong to the third category. It is enough to recollect the numerous humanitarian activities that have been implemented by the Lions Clubs worldwide in the past 95 years. You are recognized as knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness, by helping the sick and the aged, young and old, the environment and the victims of natural disasters.

Indeed, figures speak best. Since 1990, the Lions Club International has provided over 415 million dollars for the program for sight preservation. To date, 30 million people in the world are able to see thanks to your programs. More than 12 million young people are part of the educational program to combat drugs and violence. You are a global leader of humanity and in serving the community. Therefore, your motto “We Serve” best reflects your mission.

Esteemed Guests,

The most significant, alleviated and humane act is to serve those in need, those in trouble, to serve the society, professionally, with dedication and generously, from the heart. And exactly the lion’s heart is such - filled with courage, strength, readiness for action and fidelity. Loyalty towards friends, principles and duty.

Serving, you build bridge among peoples and societies. You give an example that responsible individuals build a responsible society; that shared success gives birth to new success. Humanity bears new humanity.

Dear friends,

The Republic of Macedonia has always given the world sons who, through their humane thought and mission, have bridged differences over and connected peoples and nations. Macedonia is proud that it gave birth to the blessed Mother Teresa. Therefore, nobody should be surprised with the humanity of the Lions Clubs from Macedonia.

At the end, recalling the thought of Melvin Jones that “You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else” I wish you a successful conference and a pleasant stay in the Macedonian and Balkan pearl - Ohrid.

Thank you.