Distinguished President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academician Vodenicharov,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends,

It is an honor as a President of the Republic of Macedonia, but also as a university professor to address the esteemed Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. While considering the topics on which I could deliver my lecture, I decided to share with you my views on a common challenge for our countries in the 3rd millennium: migrations and migrants.

Travels, resettlement, migrations are part of the great narrative of human history. The entire planet and mankind are in constant movement. Migrations have contributed to the creation of civilizations but also to the destruction of empires. The Roman Empire collapsed due to the migration of peoples. America was created by the pursuit of happiness. People traveled along with words, ideas, inventions and beliefs. We are all a result of migration. There is no man whose closer or more distant ancestors have not migrated from somewhere. It is almost certain that there is no person whose descendants will not migrate somewhere, in another city, another country, another continent.

However, our relatively short lives do not allow us to perceive and experience this phenomenon in its entirety. As humans, quite naturally, we are bound to "here" and "now", often ignoring the "there" and "yesterday" or "tomorrow". In other words, uncritically, we are bound to the temporary presence, which we tend to accept as a permanent condition.

And yet, history bears witness to a different reality. The political boundaries are permeable, but the natural boundaries are permanent. This is best summed up by the great American strategist Nicholas J. Spykman, who, in 1942, wrote that "Geography is not subject to discretion. It is the most fundamental factor in the foreign policy of states because it is most permanent. Ministers come and go, even dictators die, but mountain ranges stand unperturbed".

In other words, geography affects the migration of peoples, the fate of nations and the future of the world. Geography is the key to understanding migration. But the 20th century exactly was a time of rebellion against geography. It seems that we in Europe and the Balkans have forgotten that the most permanent are not the national boundaries but the natural boundaries.

The European refugee and migrant crisis has reminded us of this valuable lesson. How did this crisis happen?

You remember that the Arab Spring began in 2011. Among the bitter fruits of the Arab Spring were the failed states and ruined societies in the Middle East and North Africa that make up the fiery belt of instability, conflicts, refugees and migrants. Until the Arab Spring, we were shuddered when our territories were illegally passed by several thousand migrants annually. In the first few years of the conflict in Syria, we were concerned about the tens of thousands of refugees annually. In 2012, there were 4,320 migrants. In 2013 - 11,831. In 2014, this route was crossed by 44,057 migrants.2 The zenith was reached in 2015. The Greek island of Lesbos became symbol of the crisis, where thousands of migrants were unloaded who then came to Macedonia.

In October 2015, just in a few hours, there were over 14,000 migrants and refugees at the Greek-Macedonian border in Gevgelija. The population of Gevgelija doubled overnight. I well remember those dramatic moments. At that time, as President and Commander-in-Chief, I visited our southern border. The situation looked desperate. The border of the European Union towards Macedonia was porous. Unable to withstand the pressure of illegal migration, Greece, a member of NATO and the European Union and the Schengen zone, positioned the refugees and migrants at the border line with Macedonia. We were in a paradoxical situation. Macedonia faced the threat coming from the territory of the European Union and NATO.

All this was a reminder that Macedonia and the Balkans are part of the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan migrant route. According to Frontex, in 2015, more than 885,000 registered migrants and refugees passed through Macedonia and the Balkan route in general.

What contributed to the sharp increase in migrants?

In late 2014 and early 2015, thousands of illegal migrants from Kosovo, massively, by buses, set off to seek a better life in Europe. The mass migration of Kosovo citizens probably attracted the attention of world media that reported live this phenomenon.5 The news reached the Middle East and Africa. The route which was opened by the Kosovo migrants was later used by the refugees and migrants from Syria.

Faced with the threat of illegal migration, the Security Council of the Republic of Macedonia adopted conclusions on national security protection. On August 19, 2015, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia adopted a decision to declare crisis on the southern and northern borders. Already on August 20, a decision was adopted to engage the Army of Republic of Macedonia to provide assistance and support to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in dealing with the crisis situation resulting from the migrant crisis.

While it took Brussels six months to reach consensus on the migrant crisis, we decided to take the matters into our own hands. At that time, the Republic of Macedonia was one of the few sovereign states in Europe that made a decision and implemented that decision by itself.

In October 2015, at our insistence and at the initiative of the countries along the Balkan route, a meeting was convened in an expanded composition of the European Commission with the member states along the route passed by the refugees and migrants. For the first time, all the countries affected by the migrant crisis were at the same table. For the first time decisions were made for us, but also with our
presence and consent.

On November 13, 2015, terrorist attack happened in Paris. Already on November 15 I called the Security Council of the Republic of Macedonia. In just two days the Army managed to place 20 km protective fence. By setting the fence, we managed to regulate the flow at one entry point, the famous border stone 59.9

Imagine the paradox we face. Macedonia, which is not a member of the European Union, protects Europe from the European Union. On 2 March 2016, the European Council President, Donald Tusk, visited Macedonia. We informed him on our plan on migrant wave control. And that is regulation with one entry and one exit point. Our position was that the so called "pipe principle" should be implemented along the
entire Balkan route so that it can be controlled. Brussels followed our plan which implied entry at Idomeni, at the border stone 59, and exit at the Austrian-German border. When this route was established, we could "put valve" and close the Balkan corridor.

With the agreement between the European Union and Turkey of March 18, 2016, this route was closed.

Diplomats and bureaucrats in Brussels felt relieved. But not for long. As soon as the Balkan route was closed, it became obvious that the organizations and individuals involved in the transit of illegal migrants and refugees are very creative and innovative.

Witness thereto is the leaflet that our services found in the refugees, written in Arabic, explaining the new, alternative route: from Greece via Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Poland to Germany. This was reported to the Bulgarian Prime Minister and President who were grateful that we timely warned that the migrant wave will soon splash the Republic of Bulgaria. Macedonian and Bulgarian security services even organized joint exercises and maneuvers at the Macedonian-Bulgarian border to prepare for this challenge. But the migrants did not rest. Many tried to enter Europe by sea from Turkey via Bulgaria and Romania. The border with Turkey is patrolled by 4.500 well equipped persons. At the same time, due to the unfavorable weather conditions and big waves of the sea, the migrants abandoned the route.

However, our Balkan migrant route is not the only one. You will recall that before Lesbos, the European and world headlines were full of articles about Lampedusa. Until 2015, Lampedusa was a tragic symbol of the Central-Mediterranean migrant route.

After the Arab Spring, the order in Libya collapsed and it ceased to be a functioning state. Migrants from the Horn of Africa, from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia used the territory of Libya to reach Italy, where there are about 170,000 refugees today. In the past 20 years Italy received 4 million migrants. For a few years, it was the dominant route for the arrival of refugees in Europe. By activating this route, unfortunately, the Mediterranean has become known as the graveyard of migrants. According to the report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of June 2016, from January 1, 2014, to May 31, 2016, 9,492 people died or are missing. Moreover, 17 of 20 deaths of migrants occurred exactly on the Central- Mediterranean route.

Notwithstanding, the Western-Mediterranean migrant route was active before the Central-Mediterranean. Through this route, from 2000 until now, about 5 million migrants entered Spain, mostly from Morocco, Western Sahara and Algeria.

Despite their differences, these three migrant routes have something in common.

First and foremost, there is a dynamic relationship among them. Once a route is closed, migrants and refugees immediately activate next route.

Second thing in common to these three routes is the source of migrants. All three routes are powered from Africa and Asia. In other words, these three routes are part of the huge migration movements throughout Asia and Africa to Europe.

Third, these routes are multifunctional. The road migration routes coincide with natural air routes. (Map 10: Natural migration17). But natural migration routes are not used only by migrants and the natural world, but also by criminal structures.

Considering that in order to reach Germany from Syria, migrants are ready to pay from 5 to 15 thousand US Dollars, you can imagine the size of that business. According to Europol, last year's earnings from migrants is between 3 and 6 billion US Dollars. Мigrant corridors are not only geopolitical and geostrategic, but there
are corridors of illegal geoprofit. At the beginning of 2016, as part of the Munich Security Conference, I met with the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani. He noted that most of the criminal structures, who secured the routes for smuggling drugs in recent decades, now deal with smuggling of migrants.

According to UNODC, the Balkan route of drugs to Central and Western Europe begins in the southern and western provinces of Afghanistan. Annually, 1,000 metric tons of opium and 140 metric tons of heroin are smuggled from Afghanistan into Iran. Of these, 80-85 metric tons of heroin are smuggled through the Balkan route to Western Europe. It is estimated that the organized criminal groups that smuggle heroin to the Balkans earn between 600-700 million US Dollars annually.

As the number of refugees increases, the willingness and readiness of the European Union to accept and integrate will decrease. At the same time, the migrant crisis contributed to further tightening of the relations between the states. But the price we will pay for not cooperating is too high. The weaker the cooperation between the states, the stronger the cooperation between the criminals is. Unlike political elites and security services, smugglers in the Balkans have no ethnic, linguistic or religious
prejudice.21

This is just the beginning. In March 2016 I paid an official visit to Egypt. Currently in Egypt there are about 5 million economic migrants. Millions wait at the southern border with Sudan. In general, in the immediate vicinity of the external borders of Europe there are between 20 and 30 million potential migrants. Therefore, it can be said that the migrant crisis is about to begin. All our lives long we will witness refugees and migrants trying to reach Europe. But, it is part of a larger process.

The entire 21st century is characterized by great movement. According to the United Nations, there are about 232 million international migrants and 740 million internal migrants.23 Over 65 million of them are forcibly displaced persons, of whom 21 million are refugees and 10 million are stateless.

In 2014, 54%, or more than half of the population, already lives in urban centers. It is expected that by 2050, 66% of the world population will live in cities. UN Habitat estimates that every week about 3 million people move to the cities.25 Every day, more than 200,000 people are joining the global urban population, which means that the population of the cities around the world increases by more than 2 people every second. The trend of consolidation and connection of cities is unstoppable. All this contributes the cities, particularly the megalopolises, to turn into hubs of diversity.

We can see that there is a regularity. With its standard, lifestyle and opportunities, urban centers in the most developed countries in the world, as magnets, attract the majority of migrants. Quite naturally, the movement is always from poorer to richer regions. From villages to cities. From cities to megalopolises.

For example, the greatest urban growth in the world is in Africa, which is urbanizing 11 times faster than Europe. The same goes to Asia. Every day, 120,000 people migrate to the southeastern and eastern cities of Asia. From 1990 to 2014, in just 24 years, more than one billion people have migrated from the rural areas to the urban Asian centers of the Pacific.

However, this dynamic has been known since time immemorial. The biblical narrative of humanity begins in the Garden of Eden, but ends in the City of New Jerusalem. In other words, the narrative of human history begins in rural, but ends in urban environment. Therefore, despite the romantic dreams of returning to nature stands the reality that we live in an urban century.

Since the dawn of history, urbanization is the rule, while ruralization is exception to the rule, or, as Aristotle wrote, he who has no need to live in the polis or society because he is self-sufficient, must be either a beast or a god.

At the beginning I said that geography affects migration, setting out directions but not the causes of migration. Migration is a consequence of several interrelated factors - economic, environmental, political and security, but also technological. These four factors are deepened and accelerated by globalization.

First are the economic factors that imply escaping poverty and seeking a better life. The gap between the Global North and the Global South is widening. Of the seven billion inhabitants, only one billion lives comfortably. 62 of the richest people on the planet are rich as half of humanity. No wonder that millions of economic migrants, who have no hope of social mobility in their home countries, want to come to Europe.

Second are the environmental factors. Few people know that the Syrian refugee crisis began as ecological migration. Since 2006, there is drought in Syria that made 1.5 million people to migrate from the rural and agricultural areas to the cities.

According to IOM, there are already several million environmental migrants in the world. The number will increase to tens or even hundreds of millions in the next 50 years.

Third are the security factors, violent extremism and terrorism in the failed states. If we compare the situation in the Middle East and North Africa we will see an obvious difference.

The events from the past years created a new map of the Middle East and North Africa. Libya does not exist as a unified state. The war between Shiites and Sunnis divided Yemen into four areas. The situation in the Middle East is chaotic. Iraq can no longer function as a state and is divided into Sunni and Shia. ISIS is trying to conquer part of the territory where the caliphate was. The borders drawn in the desert sand that divided the ethnic, religious and cultural identities, are now deleted and the region restores its natural boundaries.

The political map of Syria resembles a leopard skin. A war of everyone against everyone else is fought to get the control over the pipelines. At present, the territory of ISIS decreases. This means that the migrant route is used by those who lose the battle, such as the foreign terrorist fighters returning from the battlefields in Syria. Only from the Balkans there are more than 1,000 foreign terrorist fighters who were or still are on the battlefields in Syria. 60% of them have already been returned. There are about 140 from Macedonia, 30 of whom have been killed there. This summer, 86 were already returned. 20 are imprisoned in the action called "Cell". The situation is much more critical in Bosnia, where many foreign fighters stayed after the war.

According to the last census in Syria, in 2004, there were 17 million inhabitants.

Now, it is assumed that there are more than 20 million, half of whom are outside of Syria. But only 6% of the 65 million displaced people are treated in Europe. The greatest burden of the migrant and refugee crisis is felt by the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. According to UNHCR, 39% of the displaced persons are temporarily accommodated in the countries of Middle East and North Africa. In Turkey, there are 2.5 million refugees from Syria. In Lebanon, 1.3 million (a quarter of the population of the country). In Iran - 979,000, in Jordan - 1.4 million refugees.

The fourth factor encouraging migration is the technological development. What the railway was for Europe in the 19th century, now is the smart phone for Africa - an engine of social and economic, but I would here add demographic transformation.36 The Middle East and Africa are used by about 123 million smart phones.37 Why is this important? Because millions of potential migrants, asylum seekers have access to the technology that can ease their way to the desired destination.

These and many other secondary factors have contributed to what became known as the European refugee and migrant crisis.

Europe is in constant crisis. In the seventh year of political and economic crisis, the European Union is faced with the migrant crisis. The failure of the institutions for effective governance, solidarity and leadership repeated. These type of activities should be conducted at the supranational level.

While Europe faces constant political, economic and security crises, the Union is entrapped by its own bureaucracy. Instead of situation room where the threats would be managed at a daily basis, the European diplomacy and bureaucracy meets in the panic room in which bureaucratic talks are hold and political declarations are brought. What must be done is extremely unpopular, which makes it democratically impossible to implement. All this suggests that Europe is facing a lack of leadership, responsibility and solidarity in the very Union.

The renowned analyst Claus Offe even speaks of a crisis of the crisis management of the European Union. Until we point to the actor who can help out of the crisis, Europe is not only in crisis but also in a trap. The crisis has paralyzed and silenced the very constructive actors who would be able to work to implement the necessary strategies and changes that can overcome the crisis and prevent its recurrence.

The question is how the European Union can resolve the crisis without crisis management?

And, there are crises at every turn. It is estimated that the chance of Greece to exit the Eurozone in the next 5 years (Grexit) is 60 to 40%. Simultaneously, Brexit is part of the process of re-grouping the forces at the borders of Rimland. Behind this realignment is the Anglo-American naval strategy and Franco-German continental strategy against the growth of the Chinese economy and the Russian war machinery on the borders of Europe. These are the conditions in which in the following 5 years the future European security and defense architecture will be shaped.

Regarding the migrant crisis, in the coming 5 years, we will face two challenges. While the first challenge is to ensure control of the corridors through which migrants are transferred, the second challenge is to ensure control over the free movement of migrants who are already on the Schengen territory. If Brussels still applies bureaucratic measures, then the risk for the survival of the Schengen area will increase.

In terms of security crisis that results of the external threats, the predictions say that Europe will be divided into 2 zones. The Eastern Bloc and the Balkans, which will be under constant military threat from the East and threat of illegal migration through the transit corridor. Western Europe, which will be under constant terrorist threat and threat of illegal migration to the final destinations. While the first zone will be under constant crisis management, the second area will be under a state of emergency.
The military forces will have to regroup to provide support to the civil services in dealing with the threat of terrorism, foreign fighters, border protection and crisis management. Intelligence will have to support the law enforcement authorities in dealing with external and internal threats.

The third challenge is the polarization of the European societies. Nationalist movements will strengthen and apply violent methods and means to protect the identity and character of the national states. The sovereignty of the states will be restored to defend the territory.

The fourth major challenge is the political crises. These aim of these crisis is to bring the countries in a state of tensions. In such tensions the countries would be put off balance. It involves minority governments, grand coalitions with 18 month term and inability to make decisions. The states will be in a state of submission to centers of powers that would exercise their interests.

The fifth challenge is the consequences of failed states and countries in collapse at the boundaries of the NATO South Wing. EU and NATO cannot provide protection of the states of non-military threats. Therefore it can be expected that the states will cooperate bilaterally and will extend their cooperation in their regions in order to deal with threats.

How can we solve this squaring of the circle?

The fact is that the survival of the European Union will depend on crisis management of third countries that are on the corridors and in the operating environment. The countries which were ignored for years will now become vital for its security. These are Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia...

Direct cooperation on issues of common interest will contribute to overcoming the mistrust between the security services. To yield mid and long term results, that cooperation must become a true partnership between the security services of the states in the framework for partnership.

However, in order to be successful, the European Union must do two things.

First, it must de-bureaucraticize. The panic room in which the diplomats and bureaucrats meet should be replaced with a situation room in which crisis management subjects will meet.

Second, the European Union and the other international organizations have to leave the bureaucratic labyrinth and adapt to the reality of the 21st century.

To successfully address these challenges, decision makers must rely on science. Science is to familiarize us with the complex and dynamic reality of the 21st century. From the demographic explosion in Africa and Asia, through the constant migration to the urban centers, to the growing diversity of the cities and megalopolises. Only science and its institutions such as Universities and Academies can prepare the European institutions for the 3rd millennium.

Thank you.

Esteemed Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honored to share with you the views of the Republic of Macedonia.

Arrogantly proclaiming ourselves a measure of all things, we, as humanity, have rejected the moral and ethical compass that has pinpointed our relationship to nature. Rudderless, we have turned away and headed out of the way. Uncritically we have allowed technology, being our creation, to become the creator of our needs. Artificial industrial systems have developed and expanded at the expense of natural ecosystems. We are destroying the world that we were entrusted with preserving. With our throw-away culture, we have turned our common home into a landfill thus compromising the future of our descendants.

We are already feeling the consequences of such irresponsible behavior. Apart from the millions of political and economic migrants, we see the number of climate and environmental migrants, who are searching for a dignified life increase.

To solve the problem, we cannot confine only to dealing with the consequences. We have to address the causes.

Last year we gathered in Paris, where we adopted the Agreement on Climate Change almost unanimously. On November 4, just 10 days ago, this historic agreement went into effect. This confirms that, as humanity, we finally ceased to deny the problem and that there is enough political will to face the reality of climate change.

As a signatory country, the Republic of Macedonia is committed to the principles and objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We proved this commitment by being the 23rd country in the world to provide its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Although a developing country within the United Nations, the Republic of Macedonia goes a step further in meeting its obligations especially in reporting, where it is approaching the obligations of developed countries, including the European Union. Yet, the burden is too big, and our resources are limited. The Republic of Macedonia deserves fair and equitable treatment. To successfully implement the Paris Agreement, we need access to international financing mechanisms for climate change, such as the Green Climate Fund and technology transfer.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are here today in Marrakech to continue what we have started in Paris because we believe that the Paris Agreement is a roadmap that will take us back on track.

But, to orient, we shall have to take the compass in our hands.

It requires long-term, fundamental changes in the production and consumption models.

Trading in carbon emissions without changing our lifestyle will not be profitable for our and for the future generations.

We have to redefine the development concept which should be in harmony with nature, but not at the expense of nature.

We pwill robably not be able to do everything, but we must certainly not stand aside and do nothing. Climate change is a global phenomenon which requires global response of the global community that believes in this mission. Only in this way we will enable the future generations to live with less suffering and with more dignity.

Thank you.
 

Почитувани присутни,
Дами и господа,
Драги гости,

Како и речиси секоја човекова творба и креација, и науката е вредносно неутрална. Но, целите за кои се користи науката, најчесто не се вредносно неутрални. Сведоци сме дека науката и технологијата можат да се користат за градење мир, развој и благосостојба, но и да се злоупотребат за разградување на општествените и на еколошките системи. За унапредување на квалитетот на животот, но и за уништување на животната средина.

Денес, кога светот го одбележува Меѓународниот ден на науката посветена на мирот и развојот, ние во Република Македонија имаме можност да се потсетиме на македонскиот придонес кон овие универзални благородни цели.

Оваа 2016 година во која славиме четврт век од независноста на Република Македонија е збогатена со многу јубилеи. Еден од нив е и 70-годишнината од воспоставувањето на Инженерската институција на Македонија.

Дозволете да ја искористам оваа пригода да им се заблагодарам на сите поранешни и сегашни генерации членови на Инженерската институција. Сите тие со својот ангажман во своите професионални средини имаат придонесено за наш подобар живот. Сите се заслужни за подобрување на благосостојбата на нашата заедница, за досегашниот просперитет на нашата држава. Затоа, како претседател на Република Македонија, ми претставува чест, во името на македонските граѓани симболично да ѝ се заблагодарам на Инженерската институција на Македонија со Повелбата на Република Македонија.

Но, истовремено, оваа повелба претставува и обврска. Во изминатиот четврт век, светот постигна досега незабележан технолошки напредок и развој.

Нема ден, а да не дознаеме за некое ново научно откритие. Колку подлабоко навлегуваме во новата епоха на нови пронајдоци, но и на нови предизвици, толку повеќе се зголемува и потребата за компетентен и компетитивен научен кадар.Не е доволно Македонија да биде само корисник на научните пронајдоци и техничките решенија од светот. За да можеме да обезбедиме раст на нашата економија и напредок на нашето општество, потребно е и ние да сме дел од тие решенија.

Олеснителна околност е што не започнуваме од нула. Во изминатите седум децении, Инженерската институција на Македонија заедно со другите научно-образовни и истражувачки институции ги постави темелите врз кои денес ја градиме оваа визија. И веќе ги гледаме првите плодови. Ќе ви дадам само два примера.

Како претседател на Република Македонија, секоја година ја имам честа да им врачам инженерски прстени на најдобрите студенти од техничките факултети.
Со тој чин симболично ги внесувам и поврзувам со нивниот научен и инженерски повик. Воедно, веќе шест години по ред, ја доделувам наградата „Најдобар млад научник" на млади луѓе кои се занимаваат со наука и со научни истражувања. Млади луѓе кои веќе постигнале конкретен резултат во нивната област.

Овие млади научници и инженери не се само идни членови на Инженерската институција на Македонија. Тие се и идните градители на напредокот и на благосостојбата на Македонија.

Но, не смееме да се задоволиме само со ова. Доколку сакаме да држиме чекор со светските развојни трендови и да станеме генератор на образовна и креативна научна и инженерска сила, ние мора уште повеќе да ги поттикнуваме и да ги охрабруваме студентите и младите научници од различни научни сфери. Мора да направиме сè, младите научници и инженери да ги заземат своите места во образованието, институциите, компаниите.
Мора да им помогнеме да се вклучат во највозбудливата епоха на развој, иновативни пронајдоци и креативни решенија.

Верувам дека Повелбата на Република Македонија ќе биде мотив повеќе за натамошно успешно творење во своите области на сите членови на Асоцијацијата. Верувам дека ќе биде и импулс за натамошен развој и афирмација на македонското инженерство и, воопшто, македонската наука.

Distinguished Attendees,

Esteemed Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Today we are gathered in Bitola, the city of two traditions – "a la turka" coming from the East and "a la franga" coming from the West. Although seemingly contradictory, "a la turka" and "a la franga" are intertwined here through coexistence, respect and acceptance of diversity. Not by coincidence, the Republic of Macedonia is organizing right here the 4th World Conference on Dialogue among Religions and Civilizations.

This Conference is dedicated to two extremely important and topical themes - migration and integration. To address this dual challenge, it is indeed necessary to go deeper. We need to consider the role of migration in the development of religion on the one hand and the impact of religion on migration on the other. To clarify this complex of issues, academic discussion is not sufficient. We need to open the holy books.

Reading the Torah, we will notice a narrative that is constantly repeated. With the expulsion of the fallen man from Eden, the saga of mankind begins, which is doomed to perpetual motion, relocation and resettlement.

In this perpetual cycle perhaps most striking is the story of Abraham who was called by God to leave his godless country Haram and head towards the unknown Promised Land. Accepting the call, the 75-year-old Abraham became the most famous migrant in antiquity. From then onwards, the narrative of migration has become an essential part of God's plan for humanity and man's quest for God.

Furthermore, we read that at the time of Abraham's grandson Jacob there was famine in the Middle East. Egypt was the only place where there was enough food. To survive, the old man Jacob and his family migrated to the fertile valley of the Nile. This is one of the first documented cases of what we call economic migration today.

But the story does not end here. Over the next four centuries, Egypt became a place where Jews were enslaved, exploited and discriminated against, and their first-born male children slaughtered. Faced with such repression, the lawgiver Moses brought the Jewish people out of the tyranny of Pharaoh. But the road to freedom proved longer than expected. The stateless Jews were wandering through the desert for 40 years before they finally settled in the Promised Land.

12 centuries later, when the Promised Land was ruled by Rome, Emperor Augustus decided to conduct the first census. This meant that everyone should be registered at his place of origin. In the New Testament, we read of Joseph, the carpenter, and his pregnant fiancée Mary who had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. There, in a cave, Mary gave birth to Jesus. This family of travelers soon faced with the inevitable narrative of exile. Fearing that the newborn Messiah would jeopardize the regime, the paranoid Herod the Tetrarch ordered all male babies in Bethlehem to be killed. But Joseph, warned in a dream, took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt, where they remained for 12 years until the death of Herod. So, not only Jesus Christ came to earth as a child in a family of refugees, but he himself grew up in what would be called today a refugee camp.

Judaism and Christianity are no exception. The same goes for the third Abraham's religion - Islam. It is thought that one of the distant descendants of Ishmael is the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam. In June 622 AD, faced with mortal danger, Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina, where he built the first mosque. The importance of this migration known as the Hijra is huge that in Islam it is taken as the starting year for counting the time.

Something similar is found in Eastern religions. We know that in the 5th century BC, in the east of India lived Prince Siddhartha Gautama. He left the luxurious life in the palace of his father to dedicate himself to the search for truth. Faced with suffering, transience and decadence of life, he gave up the pleasures to find peace or nirvana. Thus, Siddhartha became Buddha.

Distinguished Attendees,

What is common for all these stories? No matter how much they are different, world religions have at least one thing in common. And that is that each of them emerged by a call to leave the home, by an exile, escape or migration. The founders of world religions were migrants, refugees, exiles, banished...

Abraham left his idolatrous country.

Moses fled from the oppressive regime.

Jesus was born in a family of refugees.

Muhammad was persecuted for his beliefs.

Buddha left his home and searched for the meaning of life.

It should not be surprising that in each of the religions the call to set out on a journey takes central place. The call to migrate from skepticism to faith, from rebellion to reconciliation, from pride to humility, from hatred to love. Because, to believe means to travel.

Thus, since the dawn of history and civilization, the journey became the most powerful metaphor for human life. And the goal of that journey is search for meaning, significance, destination and home.

Yet, at the same time, we witness a reverse process. As migration affects religion, religion or ideology affects migration.

That influence can be positive. Examples are the missionaries who, with their dedication and power of arguments, are conquering the hearts and minds of people around the world. The ancient Roman road Via Egnatia passed through Heraklea, the road which the Apostle Paul took when he went to the West, but also the pilgrims who went to the East. From these areas were St. Constantine - Cyril and Methodius who were missionaries to the Saracens, Khazars and Slavs. Here their students St. Clement and Naum returned.

But the story has a dark side too. Throughout history, there were many attempts to spread religion through force of argument. At its peak, this phenomenon born exclusivity, radicalism and extremism united in the intention to destroy diversity. Jihad, crusades, pogroms are historical examples of violence in the name of religion, violence against religion itself.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Reasons for modern radicalism and extremism are many.

It is known that the migrant and refugee crisis facing Europe results of the conflicts in the Middle East, which, in turn, is a consequence of a failure of the old adage that says: Do not open old wounds. And some of those old wounds are Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria...

The straightforward boundaries drawn in the desert sand that divided the ethnic and religious identities are now disappearing from the new map of the Middle East and North Africa. Libya almost does not exist as a state. The political map of Syria looks like leopard skin. Iraq and Yemen are divided into Sunni and Shiite areas. This chaos is used by the monstrous movements like ISIS, Boko Haram, Jabhat al-Nusra... to carry out systematic destruction of whole communities, their homes and temples. In just a few years the mosaic of ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity that was created and preserved for centuries and millennia is destroyed.

The persecution of people of different faiths and beliefs is even more pronounced, not only in non-secular but also in developed and secular societies.

In the past two years, most of the refugees who came to Europe were from the Middle East. It is a place where for centuries and millennia hospitality to the stranger is considered holiness. Coming to Europe, they naturally expected that they would be treated as they would treat us - with respect for the inherent and inalienable human dignity. Instead, in many cases, they met with closed doors, fear, prejudice, mistrust and xenophobia.

With this attitude towards the migrants, some European countries built ghettos without walls, where the different are tolerated without really being respected, where they are tolerated but not accepted. Molenbeek, Saint-Denis and other islands of poverty and exclusion in the rich European capitals have become nests for radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism.

Apart from the political, there are economic and environmental factors that contribute to the growing movement worldwide. Millions of people are leaving their homes due to environmental degradation, extreme weather events, desertification and rising ocean levels. I will remind you that two years ago we saw the first climate refugee from Kiribati.

As a consequence of this, more than ever before, we live in times of refugees and migrants, displaced and persecuted who have experienced loss of home, family, homeland...

According to UNHCR, there are more than 65 million forcibly displaced persons in the world today, of which 21 million are refugees and 10 million are stateless. They carry with them all their ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural diversity. It is therefore said that everyone can be found everywhere and that every religion and belief is present or at least available in every society and every country in the world.

Esteemed Participants,

Freedom in failed states in the Middle East and North Africa, in poor societies of the Third World, is only abstract noun. In such conditions, the developed world should help refugees and migrants to attain this ideal.

The diversity from the Middle East and North Africa does not disappear. It migrates to Europe. The refugees and migrants, who set off in pursuit of happiness and freedom, hope that they will attain these ideals on our continent.

Faced with the reality of the growing diversity of Europe, we are facing several major challenges:

Can we learn to live in peace with our deepest religious, ideological and identity differences?

Can we learn to respect each other, rather than just tolerate?

How will we achieve the fragile but important balance between human rights and freedoms and human responsibilities and duties towards other people?

Can we guarantee the fundamental human freedom of thought, conscience and religion?

The answer to these questions depends on whether we will be able to set the foundations for a truly multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multilingual international society that is free and fair but also stable and safe. The least we should do is to fear, because fear is the filter through which we perceive only threats, not opportunities that stand ahead.

I am confident that this 4th World Conference will partially answer these dilemmas and help to end this 21st century more peaceful than it started.

Thank you.

Почитуван претседателе Николиќ,
Почитувани претставници на покраинската и локалната власт,
Почитувани сонародници,
Дами и господа,
Драги пријатели,

Чест ми е како Претседател на Република Македонија да бидам со своите сонародници во соседната и пријателска Република Србија.

Ова 2016-та е година на јубилеи. 70 години од доселувањето на Македонците во Војводина. 25 години од независноста на Република Македонија. 20 години од воспоставувањето дипломатски односи меѓу Македонија и Србија.

Зошто прославуваме толку јубилеи? Затоа што јубилеите ни помагаат да ја согледаме големата слика. А тоа е дека нашите два народи имаат врски кои се постари и од нашите држави и од официјалните дипломатски односи.

Дами и господа,

Се вели дека потрагата по среќа може да не однесе на некое далечно, а сепак блиско место. Блиско по јазикот, менталитетот, културата. Така е и со Македонците. Во 1946-та, само две години по првото заседание на АСНОМ на кое се удрија темелите на македонската држава, вашите предци заминаа од својата татковина Македонија.

Причините за преселбата биле различни. Некои си заминале поради повоената економска состојба. Други затоа што останале без покрив над главата. Трети, поради пренаселеност во родните места. Но, сите до еден биле водени од потрагата по среќа. Сите, до еден имале голема желба да започнат нов живот.

Од планинските венци на Македонија, дојдоа во панонската низина на Војводина. Во Србија, во Војводина, вашите предци со себе го донесоа највредното што го имаа. Јазикот, културата и традициите што ги наследиле од своите предци. Обичаите, отвореноста и срдечноста. Со себе го донесоа и македонскиот модел на соживот и почитување и прифаќање на различноста. Го донесоа само за да откријат дека тој модел на свој уникатен начин веќе се применувал и во мултиетничка, мултијазична и мултирелигиска Војводина.

Пристигнувајќи со возови без возен ред, тие најдоа на отворени врати од староседелците. Им беше дадена можност да напредуваат и да придонесуваат кон благосостојбата на државата која стана нивна втора татковина. Тука ве родија и ве одгледаа вас, нивните деца и внуци. Ве образуваа да бидете одговорни граѓани на вашата втора татковина – Србија, но и да останете верни на вашата прва татковина – Македонија.
Со оваа двојна, но неподелена и непротивречна лојалност, вие им давате квалитет на односите меѓу двете држави. А тоа е вистинска реткост на Балканот.

Ценети присутни,

На Балканот не постојат етнички, религиски и јазични монолитни држави и општества. Никогаш и не постоеле. Соочени со оваа вистина, балканските држави имаат само две опции. Да ја признаат и прифатат, или, да ја негираат и отфлат оваа реалност. Од изборот меѓу овие две опции зависи дали статусот на малцинските заедници ќе биде мост на поврзување или, пак камен на сопнување во односите меѓу балканските држави. А со тоа, влијае на судбината на илјадници припадници на малцинствата.

Република Македонија е позната по својот демократски модел на интеграција без асимилација и почитување и прифаќање на секоја заедница, вклучително и српската. Не радува што наоѓаме на сличен однос на Република Србија кон македонската заедница.

Република Србија е единствениот непосреден сосед на Република Македонија кој доследно се грижи за македонската заедница. Тоа е позитивен пример што треба да го следат и другите наши соседи. И искрено се надевам дека со вакво позитивно темпо ќе продолжиме во иднина.

Македонската заедница во Србија и српската заедница во Македонија се гарант на добрите односи меѓу двете пријателски држави. Македонците во Србија и Србите во Македонија се истовремено лојални граѓани на своите држави и посветени родољуби на своите народи. Но, да се биде родољуб значи да се биде верен на јазикот.


Почитувани присутни,

Во далечната 1986-та година, пред точно 30 години, Блаже Конески напиша дека „за нас повеќе отколку за многу други во светот, јазикот претставува, со сè што е на него создадено, како говорен и пишуван текст, најголемо приближување до идеалната татковина. Тој е заправо единствена наша комплетна татковина." Тоа го знаел и Ѓорѓија Пулевски кој во 1875-та во Белград го издал познатиот Тријазичник. На тоа, денеска ќе додадам дека македонскиот јазик остана основната и најсилната жива врска што нè врзува и обединува.

Кога пишувате, зборувате и творите на македонски јазик, вие активно учествувате во изградбата на таа наша идеална татковина. Македонија е татковина на старословенскиот црковен јазик. Наш долг како Македонци е да го чуваме и постојано да го унапредуваме јазикот. Затоа, мојот апел до вас денеска е да не го оставите и заборавите македонскиот јазик. Да ги учите вашите деца, да ги поттикнувате вашите блиски, да бидете пример и охрабрување за Македонците на Балканот, во Европа и светот.

За тоа веќе се создадени услови. Новите комуникациски технологии ни овозможија да бидеме првата генерација Македонци која во реално време може да комуницира со сите наши сонародници во светот на нашиот македонски јазик.

Нема средба со државните претставници на Република Србија на која не зборуваме и за вас, Македонците во Србија. Македонскиот јазик стана службен јазик во Општина Пландиште и во Јабука. Ги поздравувам ваквите демократски чекори. Но, не треба да се запре тука.

Македонскиот јазик треба да биде изучуван и во другите основни училишта каде што Македонците живеат во значителен број. Неопходно е реализирање емисија на македонски јазик на програмите на државната радио и телевизија. И сите оние права кои ги имаат Србите во Република Македонија, согласно билатералната Спогодба за заштита на Македонците во Србија и Србите во Македонија и согласно меѓународните стандарди.
Со мојот пријател, Претседателот Николиќ отворено разговаравме и ги пренесов реалните потреби и легитимните очекувања на Македонците во Србија кои се однесуваат на изучувањето на македонскиот јазик, поголемата застапеност во јавниот, политичкиот и општествениот живот. Очекувам државните, покраинските и локалните органи на Република Србија да излезат во пресрет на овие барања, бидејќи, тоа е влог во трајното пријателство меѓу двата народи и двете држави.

Но, за да го остварите сето тоа, неопходно е едно нешто. А тоа е вие, Македонците во Србија да бидете сложни за да ги исползувате можностите што ви се даваат. Нашиот народ вели: сложни браќа куќа градат. Вашата куќа, тука во Србија се вашите човекови права и слободи и правото на човечко достоинство. Право да бидете почитувани и прифатени со сета ваша различност. Тоа ќе го постигнете само ако ги надминете внатрешните разлики, ако се помирите и сплотите околу Мајка Македонија.

Чувајќи го македонскиот идентитет, вие и давате на Србија дел од она што значи Македонија – а тоа е нашиот модел на соживот, почитување и прифаќање на различноста. Но, истовремено, и давате и на Република Македонија причина повеќе да ги гради и унапредува односите со Република Србија. А верувајте, има и зошто.

Ценети присутни,

Живееме во време кога на Балканот има се повеќе ретроградни процеси и кога се заострува реториката меѓу државите, со неколку позитивни исклучоци. Иако со Република Србија имаме некои различни позиции по некои отворени прашања, сепак, тоа не не спречува да остваруваме максимална соработка во сите области од заемен интерес.

Пред само два дена со Претседателот Николиќ се согласивме дека нашите две држави треба да се посветат на активностите и проектите кои се од големо значање за целиот регион. Еден од нив е и проектот за каналот Дунав-Морава-Вардар-Егејско Море. Тоа е проект на поврзување на водите и народите. Со Претседателот Николиќ се согласивме дека на следниот состанок на лидерите на Брдо Бриони процесот ќе го отвориме ова прашање што е од капитално значење. Пред се за Македонија, Србија и Грција, но истовремено ќе биде од корист и за земјите од Централна и Западна Европа. Верувам дека со овој проект, многу навидум нерешливи проблеми преку ноќ ќе станат решливи и многу отворени прашања ќе бидат затворени и оставени онаму каде што им е местото – во историјата.

Драги пријатели,

Со овој проект ќе се расчисти патот за градење на пријателските односи меѓу државите и народите. Замислете што ова ќе значи за сите нас, и особено за вас. Со овој проект, Скопје, Ниш, Белград, Панчево, Нови Сад ќе бидат поврзани со Егејското море. Овие градови ќе бидат дел од значаен коридор што ќе отвори многу можности за економски раст и развој.

Тоа е причина повеќе да им се биде благодарен на вашите предци кои пред 70 години се охрабриле, зачекориле во непознатото и се населиле во место кое наскоро може да се најде на крстосницата на еден од најзначајните европски водни коридори.

Затоа, за крај, да се запрашаме: Што би рекле вашите предци кога би им се кажало дека еден ден, нивната Јабука, нивниот Глогоњ, нивното Панчево преку Дунав и Морава ќе бидат поврзани со Вардар, со Македонија, со нивните родни краишта. Верувам дека некои од нив би признале дека со тоа, на некој начин, би им се остварила нивната последна желба. А тоа е вие, нивните деца, внуци и правнуци, да бидете што поблиску до татковината Македонија. Помогнете ни да ја оствариме таа желба.

Ви благодарам.
 

Respected attendies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear guests,

"Theatre is the greatest of all artistic forms in which man to man can fastest share what it means to be human", said the playwright Thornton Wilder. It seems, though, at the height of their technological and material power, man is in huge need of humanity.

We live in a world where more and more people are present on the Internet network, and less in the home, family, community. The interaction with the world that requires all the senses is replaced by touching the screen of our smart phones. Although constantly connected and online, more people feel lonely and alienated.

Plato says that art is a shadow of shadows. But today it seems that art is less shade and more truth and has the dimension to humanize us, to bring us back to the world of the beautiful, ethical, to make us laugh and make us cheer, to breathe life in us. For these reasons, when our lives increasingly resemble virtual reality and hologram, we find refuge in the theater. The theater is a space where we can engage our senses. A place where people right before us make the characters, events surrounding they play alive. They make us alive. Like no other artistic medium, the theater offers warmth, closeness and humanity.

A few days ago our Venko Andonovski said that theater is a highlight of realistic art. This requires theaters with great artistic, professional and human potential.

Esteemed friends,

Today I have the honor to address you on the occasion of awarding the Order of Merit for Macedonia to one of our most renowned theater, and, in general, cultural institutions, the Drama Theatre - Skopje.

In the year when we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Macedonia, we celebrate 70 years of artistic anniversary of the founding of the Drama Theatre-Skopje. In the past seven decades, the Drama Theatre-Skopje grew generations and generations who learned of ethical and aesthetic, who acknowledged themselves and the world, who learned and respected life. This process must not stop.

This is an excellent opportunity to thank the members of all generations of members of the Drama Theatre-Skopje, who in the past seven decades, on the scene and behind the scenes, created theatrical magic that ennobled the visitors with their performances. Actors, playwrights, directors, technical staff, administrative workers... are part of the team that diligently and faithfully serves the public.

The team called Drama Theatre-Skopje has indeed a reason to be proud of its rich history and artistic achievements. This is best witnessed exactly by the audience, not only on the home stage in Skopje but throughout Macedonia and wider in the region and in Europe.

Hence, I believe that the Order awarded today will be another incentive for new endeavors, new aesthetics, and conquering new audiences.

I wish you many years of theatrical magic.

Thank you.