Distinguished Attendees,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

With great pleasure I have accepted the invitation to attend the opening of the Summer School of the International Seminar on Macedonian Language, Literature and Culture. The Seminar is organized by the St. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, which every year brings many new admirers and lovers of the culture, language and literature in the Republic of Macedonia.

Last year, the Seminar marked the historic, 45-year anniversary, we could say that this year it celebrates its spiritual anniversary. This year marks 1150 years of the Moravian mission of the All-Slavic saints and educators, Cyril and Methodius. Mission in which they fought for the right of every nation to speak, read and write in its own native language.

Constituting the Glagolitic alphabet and translating the Bible, they planted the seed that emerged in a large, rich and branched tree of the Slavic languages. Today, here in our ancient spiritual and cultural capital Ohrid, we collect the fruits of the tree that the Salonika brothers planted nearly twelve centuries ago, in the heart of Europe.

Esteemed Excellencies,

The words spoken in a language that people understand, reach the mind. The words, however, spoken in his mother tongue, touch the heart. Our hearts are filled with joy when we hear you speak Macedonian, and there is a good reason for that.

The Macedonian language is the heart of Macedonia. As Blaze Koneski said, our language is our only homeland. You would agree that in this brief thought, the words of Krste Petkov-Misirkov echo, who, 110 years ago, in his "On the Macedonian Matters", among the other things, wrote:

"Loyalty towards our language is our duty and our right. We are obliged to be loyal to our language because it is ours, just as our homeland is. The first voices we have heard are the voices of our fathers and mothers, the sounds and words in their vernacular language. Through them we have received our first spiritual food, because they gave meaning to everything we could see with our eyes. With the vernacular language we conquer the psychology of our fathers and forefathers and thus we become their spiritual heirs, as we are, with our strength, their bodily followers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The language reflects the past, present and future of a nation. Through language we see its historical experience, where it is and what it is up to.

According to some estimates, the rich European linguistic garden today abounds with approximately 230 living languages and the Macedonian language is one of them. Krste Petkov-Misirkov wrote at a time when there were attempts the Macedonian language, being an inseparable part of the Macedonian identity, to be permanently uprooted from the European linguistic garden. A time when some states have tried to reduced parts of the garden to a mono-cultural plantation.

But, as Petre M. Andreevski says: "Our race is knotgrass and not a single army can destroy it. You may kick it, plucked it as much as you want, it will not disappear. Only if it touches the ground, it will start growing again, it will be revived. Nothing can destroy that grass". Today's meeting speaks of their failure.

Given that today's Macedonian language is spoken by several millions of Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia and abroad, the future is secured and safe. But, right through you, the Slavists from around the world, the Macedonian language, as well as the Macedonian culture and literature, have the best ambassadors at the global meridians. I sincerely thank you for all your effort and commitment.

With that thought, at the very end, I wish you successful work during the summer school and a pleasant stay in the Republic of Macedonia.

Thank you.