Address by President of Republic of Macedonia Dr. Gjorge Ivanov at the presentation of the publication “Religion and Culture – Unseparable Bond Among Nations”, dedicated to the Second World Conference on Dialogue among Religions and Civilizations, that took place in Ohrid in 2010.

Respected Attendees, Distinguished Members of the Religious Communities, Distinguished Media Representatives, Esteemed Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It was with pleasure that I accepted the invitation to participate in the presentation of the publication dedicated to the Second World Conference on Dialogue among Religions and Civilizations. A Conference that two years ago was held in our spiritual and cultural capital Ohrid. This Conference is the fruit of the seed which was sowed in 2003 by the Republic of Macedonia as initiator of the Regional Forum on Dialogue among Civilizations under the leadership of the man who understood the significance of this idea and translated it into action, one of my predecessors, President Boris Trajkovski.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The need for dialogue, the need for communication in the world has never been greater than it is today. Today we feel growing intolerance, religious fundamentalism and exclusion. We live at a time when many societies are in a deep crisis of moral values. I believe the dialogue among religions and cultures is the basic tool for overcoming prejudice and fear, for cohesion and understanding between people regardless of the religion they belong to.

The fact that this publication is issued in Macedonian, Albanian, English, French and Russian reflects the respect for diversity, and the universality of messages sent. Regardless of the language used, the messages are always the same: peace, cooperation and tolerance, coexistence, freedom and love.

Esteemed guests,
The thought contained in all religious books remained unforgettable: “Love thy neighbor as thyself”. This covenant is particularly essential today in the multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious societies we live in. Societies which enabled for centuries peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures. Societies in which people from different religions and various cultures have a long tradition of coexistence and respect.

Macedonia has lived in a world of diversity, respecting what is left as a legacy. Life has taught us to coexistence, tolerance and mutual understanding and assistance. We are reminded on this by what we on the Balkans know as Kapicik, in the true sense of the word. It is known from the past, that even when the door between neighbors was locked, the Kapicik always remained open. Open to dialogue, exchange and help. As a gate that was not supposed to be closed even in times of challenges. Our aspiration is based on this: to preserve what we have inherited. Most probably that was the reason Macedonia to host these two world conferences- to share our positive experiences with others.

Dear friends,
One of the numerous inspirational messages sent during the Second World Conference was that “Society can change, but only if people can change. Spiritually rebuilding people is the dream of every era. A free society can be built only by spiritually free people”. I believe that such conferences are a roadmap leading our generation towards building spiritually free people. People free from fear and prejudice, intolerance and hatred, focused on openness, mutual understanding and support. We must not forget that dialogue is changing hearts and minds of individuals. The one who communicates is integrated and the one who does not communicate becomes part of a ghetto, persisting with invented hostilities.

At the very end, let me share with you my conviction that the cycle of world conferences on inter-religious and intercultural dialogue will result in solid and valuable guidelines in future. Guidelines that will represent a bridge of understanding between peoples, mutual respect and tolerance for a better world.

Thank you.