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

It gives me great honor to address the 5th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna. I avail myself of this opportunity to extend my thankfulness to our host, President Fisher, for the hospitality and I congratulate the organizers for this successful event.

Today's day is, in many aspects, symbolic. On February 27, Constantine the Great was born, the first Roman emperor who accepted and recognized Christianity, putting an end to the persecution faced by early Christians. On this day, in the year 380, Emperor Theodosius delivered the Edict of Thessalonica and thus Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. By coincidence, this year marks 330 years since the Battle of Vienna. Today, the highest representatives of the two successor states are sitting at the same table and discussing the importance of the dialogue among civilizations. I believe there is no stronger message on the importance of dialogue. There is no clearer demonstration of leadership than what is happening today in Vienna.

Religions are changing in space and time. If in the past they were territorial, today, at a time of new technologies and Internet, religions are non-territorial. It is a challenge but also an opportunity to improve communication and dialogue.

Distinguished Guests,

Often I say that the one who communicates is integrated, and the one who does not communicate is ghettoized. Clash of civilizations is a result of lack of communication and dialogue. The Alliance of Civilizations is the right channel for communication and exchange of ideas that helps us overcome stereotypes and promote shared values of peace, tolerance and diversity.

"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding", Mahatma Gandhi said. If each tree is recognized by its own fruits, then we need to seek the roots of many collective human tragedies of today in the intolerance, and there are, indeed, many such tragedies. Prejudice, exclusion, marginalization, hatred and intolerance towards diversity lead to tragedies.

Antithesis of religious intolerance is religious pluralism. Pluralism perceived not only as a greater diversity, but as perception and acceptance of such diversity. Religious pluralism is one segment of people's lifestyle, something that cannot be imposed, but is borne by the real life. "Tolerance is the consequence of humanity", Voltaire said. People are not born tolerant. Individual tolerance is a habit that is created and fostered during the entire lifetime. As far as the communities, peoples and nations are concerned, religious tolerance is a value that should be learned, built and upgraded for decades and centuries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Macedonia has a lot to say on this topic. Religious pluralism in our country is a result of the long period of existence of empires, which implies existence of different religious, ethnic and linguistic groups. Giving certain autonomy to the incorporated communities, the empires built complex non-territorial mechanisms of collective identities in the form of personal autonomies. This particularly refers to the millet system, which, at least in principle, prevented territorial demarcation and enabled a relatively peaceful coexistence of religions in the same space.

The Macedonian model of integration without assimilation emerges precisely from this imperial legacy. As a geographical and political entity, Macedonia has always been at the crossroads between East and West, North and South. Macedonia has lived in a world of diversity, respecting what is left as heritage. Macedonia has become one of the spiritual beacons of Christianity in Europe. Namely, in the Acts of the Apostles, 16:9, it is said: "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." It can be concluded thereof that Christianity was spread in Europe through Macedonia.

Since that time, life has taught us of coexistence, tolerance, mutual understanding and help, values that we practice even today. It is a positive example that should be valued, rewarded and should inspire others.

It reminds us of what we in the Balkans symbolically call Komshi-Kapicik. In the past, almost every house in Macedonia was separated from the neighboring house by a wall in which there was a small door - Kapicik. There were often such doors between two religions. It is known from those days, that even when the main gate between the neighbors was closed, the kapicik always remained open. Open for dialogue, exchange and assistance. The kapicik is a door that even in times of challenges was not supposed to be closed. Komshi-Kapicik is a traditional Macedonian and Balkan logic of inter-religious and inter-ethnic coexistence.

The basis of this logic is the experience of our multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religion society which, for centuries, has enabled peaceful coexistence among religions.

This tradition of coexistence and religious tolerance has created solid trans-generational friendships between people of different religions. And as a result, Macedonia is one of the rare countries in Europe where Orthodox Christians and Muslims worship God under the same roof. These are places where religions not only meet, but also overlap in space and time.

Macedonian religious pluralism can be confirmed by the mission of the mother of the 20th century, Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje. In a radius less than 100 meters from her native house, there was a Catholic church, Orthodox church, a Jewish synagogue and a Muslim mosque. Mother Teresa spent her childhood in this microcosm of religious pluralism and has become synonym of a person living in religious openness and tolerance. Openness which certainly influenced her humanism she took with her to India, where she became the mother of the poor, needy and isolated.

The roots of this tradition are in the covenant left by St. Clement of Ohrid, the founder of the first Slavic University in Europe. He teaches us to compete in kindness, to have no enmity with anyone, to love each other without hypocritical love and to respect each another wholeheartedly.

Esteemed Attendees,

In some other countries and regions in Europe, relations between East and West, Christianity and Islam were marked by conflict, intolerance and isolation. There is, however, opposing dichotomy of peace, tolerance and integration in Macedonia.

We nurture our model within the country, with the Constitution and the political system, but we also promote it through the regional initiatives. Former President Trajkovski in 2003 initiated the first Forum of Dialogue among Civilizations, held in Ohrid. The Ohrid Declaration, echoes and is topical even today: "We, the participants in the Ohrid Regional Forum on the Dialogue among Civilizations, commit ourselves to a culture of dialogue, tolerance and peace in order to advance prosperity, well-being and mutual cooperation among the peoples and countries of the South-East Europe region". At the 10th anniversary of the Macedonian Initiative, I will have the honor to be the host of the 11th Forum of Dialogue among Civilizations. This initiative has given fantastic results for my region, at a time when the entire region was recuperating from a period of isolation, intolerance and conflict. The Republic of Macedonia launched, actually and formally, in 2003 regionally, what the Alliance of Civilizations intends to promote globally.

Convinced that dialogue is indispensable, in May this year, we will host the third World Conference on Dialogue among Religions and Civilizations, which is traditionally held in Ohrid. Macedonia has always believed and enforced in practice the view that the dialogue is indispensable, because it changes the hearts and minds of people.

Dear Friends,

More than a century ago, the father of the modern Macedonian state, Goce Delchev, said: "I understand the world as a field for cultural competition among nations". I believe it is time to expand the perception of the world as a field for dialogue among civilizations, which is the basis of cultural competition among nations.

Thank you.