Excellencies, Eminencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great privilege for me to have this opportunity to speak at this Conference and address this eminent audience that represents the overall global inter-religious diversity, inter-cultural wealth. Here, in Ohrid, this European and even world spiritual and cultural cradle, we want to affirm the practical value of dialogue among people, which is, has been and will remain the only non-violent way out from the falls of human existence.

 Respected friends. Two decades following the fall of the Berlin Wall we have the unique opportunity to assess the true gains of dialogue as an instrument to overcome and resolve the misunderstandings and differences. I started with the fall of the Berlin Wall as a significant step in the construction of what I call Pax Europana. It is a concept of open space dominated by dialogue and respect among people, communities and religions. An open space in which all people are respected for what they are, regardless of where they live and work. An open space where the worlds of differences and the power of geo-culture shall be properly understood.

The idea of an open space is the source of the European strength and the foundation of the European success.

Peace is the foundation of wellbeing of human existence. Therefore, conferences like this one are the answer to the bitter issue about the true modalities of living the dialogue, in times when intolerance and xenophobia threaten to destroy its existence. In times when the outdated and backward policies appear again on the horizon, policies which trouble human identity and dignity and which abuse faith. In this light, it is especially important to determine the modalities of dialogue among religions, as every policy is unsustainable without spirituality. Religion is more or less one of the key traits of identity of the individuals and the communities. Sustainable peace is possible if pluralism in society also incorporates religious pluralism.   

Distinguished attendees,

Today the world, at least in theory, supports dialogue. To what degree reality goes hand in hand with theory, even wellbeing which stems from all our visions for the present and the future, is conditioned by the implementation of the conclusions of conferences such as this one, which, regretfully, are still insufficient in number. This depends on our efforts to encourage the use of dialogue as an instrument for most successful modelling of the future. We should acknowledge the efforts of UNESCO and other international organizations to encourage and support the inter-civilization dialogue, efforts especially directed to the sensitive geo-strategic parts of the world, where it is especially indispensable to understand the marginalized groups, the minorities and, of course, the youth, as future shapers of the order of the civilization. If we look back on the remote history of human civilization, there is incontestable, practical and well-grounded evidence of the power of dialogue.

The state can live in prosperity only if the principles of pluralism and democracy are observed, if human rights and freedoms, as well as civil rights of all are fulfilled, if there are equal opportunities for both men and women and if appropriate and good relations are established among the religious communities. If this balance be disturbed in any respect, problems are created and in a democratic society, these problems can only be resolved through dialogue.

Respected participants,

The Republic of Macedonia is proud of its unique and inclusive model of democracy, a model of integration without assimilation. In Macedonia there are approximately twenty ethnic, religious, linguistic and national communities which enjoy all universal rights and freedoms which are known today. The multi-ethnic and multi-confessional co-existence which is part of  the everyday life in Macedonia has been built for centuries. The Macedonian model is the model of the future, a model which essentially contains the universal values, and has the respect of different cultural matrixes as a starting point. This model is the strongest acknowledgement granted to the Republic of Macedonia by the international community. This is one of the reasons for the organization of this conference, right here in Ohrid in Macedonia.

You will all agree that peace is a precondition for economic development everywhere, and particularly here in the Balkans. And inversely, the economic development is the most solid foundation that peace dwells upon everywhere and particularly here in the Balkans. We need support for our societal and social model so that we could prosper to the sphere of free and sustainable development. Just as the western model of economic development needs the Western Balkans and the open economic space, we also need support to build our economic prosperity which is the most sustainable peace concept worldwide.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By organizing this conference which grows into a positive tradition, Macedonia reaffirms its dedication to the construction of a global platform for peace and dialogue among the religions. The example of Macedonia encourages the spiritual and religious actors worldwide to join this shared venture.

We are prepared to share our experience and gains of the Macedonian model which, if properly applied, can contribute to the strengthening of the inter-cultural and inter-religious cooperation and understanding and preventing the occurrence of conflicts.

Nature and the Almighty Creator create the differences. All trees and plants are different in the forest. All birds in the sky are different. All fish in the water are different. All people on the Earth are different. Some like to fly and flock together. Only the self-sufficient ones do not live in a flock or a school. Therefore God created the Word so we could all communicate. The dialogue is possible only when there is communication. Those who do not communicate are the ones who choose the path to isolation and ghettoisation. Macedonia lives in the world of diversity. Life has taught us to coexistence and tolerance. The different worlds are rightly understood and we respect them. We do not only respect this century-long tradition and reality, but we also reflect it in the overall social and political life in Macedonia.

Thus we respect the creation of the Almighty Creator, the Nature. In this region, the coexistence is founded on this respect that we have, on this crossroads of civilizations, in this stunning Macedonia.

Thank you for your attention.

Distinguished Academicians
Dear guests,

It is a great privilege and honor to deliver a welcoming speech at your scientific conference “Science and Art”, here, in the temple of sciences and arts. The honor is even greater given the fact that this conference is jointly organized and carried out with your academic colleagues from Germany.
Today’s event is another affirmation and continuation of the mutually cherished Macedonian-German friendship. We have excellent political, economical and overall cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Germany. Macedonia sees Germany as a strong partner in overcoming the hurdles and attaining our interests.
The excellent bilateral relations and cooperation contribute to the advancement of fruitful political dialogue, which I witnessed during my official visit to Germany last September, when we had an impressive meeting with President Horst Köhler, during which we also addressed science.
This conference reaffirms the fact that our two academic communities recognize the need for mutual cooperation and are prepared to combine knowledge and experience for the good of today’s and future generations. All over the world, science and art are spoken and interpreted with a universal language.
Since I have been given the floor, I cannot resist talking about the topic of today’s conference.
However, first I would like to express my respect for the supporters of the work of the great Leibniz. The last man from the western civilization with truly encyclopedical knowledge and founder and first president of your academy of sciences. When I was a university professor, I enjoyed his work, his universal knowledge, but, above all, his optimism.
Now, I would like to go back to the topic of science and art by reminding us all about a movement that appeared exactly 100 years ago in Germany. Namely, in 1910, certain appearances in German art and literature combined in a new movement called “expressionism”. The movement caused a “volcanic eruption”. For almost a decade it was boiling up and left a strong mark on German spiritual life. After 1920 the movement had weakened and retreated, making room for other aspirations in German society.
This, primarily literate and artistic movement, contains the protest against aestheticized and individualistic impressionism. Protest against social and political injustice, protest against the contemporary injustices.
Unlike impressionism, which actually paints the external look of nature and the world, expressionism shows the internal spirit stimulated by religious, social and psychological urges. However, expressionism contains an optimistic vision of the future.
Young artists and writers draw out the inspiration for their movement from the Danish existentialist Soren Kierkegaard.
What is, then, the essence of Kierkegaard’s philosophy?
Simply put, it represents a natural continuity of the new irrationalism, which among Germans could be traced back to Schelling and Schopenhauer.
Kierkegaard’s irrationalism stems from the animosity towards Hegel’s system. In the field of literature, this was boiled down to severe attack against Goethe. As subjectivist supporter, Kierkegaard resisted objective thought. According to him, objectivity reveals only trivial truths to us, or, at best, a mathematical formula. However, man can come to meaningful conclusions only through subjectivity.
Kierkegaard claims that subjectivity is the only truth, and, therefore, expressionists accepted this teaching. According to Kierkegaard, man comes close to understanding his existence in so-called border conditions, for instance, weakness and helplessness cause fear. For Kierkegaard, fear is a felling that overtakes man when facing the emptiness of his existence. Therefore, fear is an expression of the perfection of human nature. The deeper and more intensive fear is the more divine man is. And fear, in its various forms, is the dominant subject of an expressionist soul.
However, Kierkegaard’s understanding of life ultimately leads us to pessimism. Unlike Schopenhauer’s pessimistic irrationalism which culminates with ascetic denouncing each practice, Kierkegaard determinately emphasized human activity, which is why expressionists were inspired by him.
Now, what was the purpose of this story of German expressionism? Simply, this was necessary in order for us to get to their main philosopher. If Ernst Max is considered the philosopher of impressionism, then the former Freiburg professor Edmund Husserl is the philosopher of expressionism.
Today, Husserl is almost forgotten in western philosophy. His philosophical method’s irrationalistc tendencies became explicitly known only through Heidegger’s philosophy. Husserl’s goal was to create a system that could penetrate the essence of phenomena, regardless of physical or psychical reality. This is the reason why the method of the doctrine known as “intuition of essences” (“Wesensschau”), is intuitive and absolute knowledge, unlike the logical and psychological method. That is the goal of expressionists – phenomenologically to depict the world through art.
Husserl at that time, 100 years ago, merged his lectures in the, unfortunately, unfinished work known today as “The Crisis of the European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology”.
The purpose of this intro is for this work and the messages it conveys on sciences and arts.
Husserl says that modern European culture begun with enlightenment’s trust in the absolute power of knowledge. But this trust transformed into the contemporary crisis of science, crisis based on the fact that scientific knowledge has enslaved the human spirit. Instead of opening new perspectives of freedom, instead of providing its powerful services for the building of human freedom, sciences turned the human into a machine, into a part of the process creating technical power that chains the human.

Facing science’s alienation from man, the principle task of philosophy is to seek the genuine knowledge of human rationality. To seek the rationality that expresses man’s self-consciousness and freedom, and, based on it, to merge the entire scientific knowledge into one complex.
Therefore, phenomenology’s main goal is to achieve the self-awareness of science by recognizing the genuine possibilities of the human spirit by understanding the original purpose of the rationality of man’s conscience.
Unlike the technological rationalization of contemporary science, rationality aiming to more efficiently manipulate with nature, phenomenology should discover the genuine rationality of the human spirit expressing human freedom and self-awareness and man’s true possibilities.
Husserl envisioned phenomenology as a theory aiming to determine the sources of scientific cognition so that it could assist science in discovering its true purposes, to humanize itself, to develop critical barriers towards objectification of scientific knowledge that prevents them from reaching human purpose.
For a century, Husserl’s phenomenology has caused controversies. His existentionalist followers include Heidegger, Jaspers, Sartre, but also Merleau-Ponty, Max Scheler, Roman Indargen and many others.
Husserl simply pointed out a century ago on what we have even today, vulgarization of science and its transformation into technology’s servant.
Recently, science is interested in researching German expressionism, in Germany, but also in the United States. Let us hope that this will produce a new Husserl that would depict the condition of sciences and arts today.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great honor and pleasure to address you on the occasion of awarding the Order of Merits for Macedonia to our music diva Esma Redzepova - Teodosievska. Macedonia is a country with rich history, culture and arts. A country in which artistic virtuosos, humanists and philanthropists are born. All valuable human and artistic qualities are synthesized in Esma. It is a pleasure to be a contemporary and fellow citizen of Esma - the star of the Parisian Olympia, whose concerts throughout the world are sold in advance. Esma lives in our neighborhood; she is modest and dignified, always ready to help all those who need support and assistance. With her authenticity, originality and perfect vocal performance, Esma promotes Macedonian and Roma music in the world, thus emerging in outstanding international musical name.

On this day, we have the opportunity, on behalf of all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, by awarding the Order of Merits for Macedonia, to express our wholehearted gratitude for her contribution and achievements in promoting our country. To award her with another deserved recognition for her musical achievements and her humanitarian activities. Achievements admired by the entire world, a fact proven by the numerous recognitions, awards and successes, but above all the pleasure and smiles of those who enjoyed Esma’s voice, or felt her motherly embraces.

Dear all,

Today's celebration takes place just two days before the International Roma Day, April 8th. This day is proudly celebrated in the Republic of Macedonia. Indeed, the Roma community is inseparable part of the Macedonian society and it is not by accident that in our country there is a municipality where the Roma language is in official use.

Besides other engagements, Esma is undoubtedly one of the leading figures in the arrangements for improving the social and economic situation of Roma population. Certainly her care for the community, her philanthropic and humanitarian mission does not recognize nationality, religion, sex ... Love is equally needed by everyone and everywhere and should be granted unconditionally, as this was once done by the best known citizen of Skopje - Mother Teresa.

Esma is a perfect example that there are no barriers when it comes to talent, will and persistence. For more than fifty years Esma has been conquering the scenes and the hearts of the audience worldwide, spreading the messages from one small country by size, but large in spirit.

At the end, allow me to wish Esma further personal and professional success and, of course, to continue, with the energy of her music and the warmth of her voice, to enrich the world, granting and spreading unconditional love.

Distinguished members of the Army,

Let me first wish you good health, happiness and success in the mission you undertake in Afghanistan. On behalf of all citizens of Macedonia, I can convey that we feel pride and profound gratitude to you. As Supreme Commander I am aware of the personal sacrifice that every one of you decided to stand and the risk this mission bears, of the family abjurations and the difficulties that are awaiting you in the forthcoming months.

Respected,

The Republic of Macedonia decided to increase the contingent to Afghanistan in coalition with the United States of America, specifically with the National Guard of the U.S. federal state Vermont. I expect that this mission will be a continuation of the success we have achieved in previous joint missions of our two countries in Iraq.

Macedonia confirms its friendly relations and belonging to the coalition of democratic and free countries not only by words but by deeds; Macedonia has both strengths and determination to implement its goal. It is peace and stability in the world, promoting freedom and democracy and protecting the innocent from violence. We are part of an alliance of states united by common values. Therefore, due to the high goals and ideals, this mission justifiably enjoys wide support from the Macedonian citizens, politicians and the public.

Our forces in Afghanistan are tasked to contribute to the stability and peace, to assist the citizens of Afghanistan in building prosperous, peaceful, democratic and free future. Countries participating in missions are not eager to obtain personal benefit. Our reward is the acknowledgement that we have done everything in our capacity to provide help in the hardest moments ever.

Respected,

I am certain that your voyage to this mission is with due and profound reverence to the Afghan people. Afghanistan is a country with outstanding history and rich cultural and religious tradition. Macedonia also has deeply-rooted and long-lasting tradition of respect and appreciation of different religions, nations and cultures. This tradition can be particularly seen in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia. Thus I am confident that you will be exceptionally good and worthy ambassadors of our country.
Macedonia, with its participation in peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon and in Afghanistan, proved equal to the other countries of the Euro-Atlantic family of nations. Our army is not far behind, when it comes to readiness, courage and determination, compared to the armies of our partners and friends. Macedonia is equal in undertaking responsibilities. However, even in the most difficult moments, Macedonia remains committed to the undertaken commitments and duties, as it befits a real ally and friend.

With our commitment we invest also in the strength of this global alliance, which is foreseen as a lasting one, which is the hope of many people around the world. I am deeply convinced that before us is a period in which the highest standards and achievements of the Macedonian Army, Macedonian society and Macedonian state will be crowned with full membership of the Republic of Macedonia in NATO and the European Union.

Respected parents, relatives, friends,

We are proud of our soldiers. They are here, lined up before the flag of the Republic of Macedonia, because they are the best. They are the best prepared, the most successful.

Respected soldiers and sergeants,

You are the best representatives of our country, our values and our commitment to this mission.

Long live the Republic of Macedonia!