Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honor and pleasure to address you on the occasion of awarding the title "Best Young Scientist" which values the highest scientific achievements in a calendar year.

This recognition is successfully achieving its goal - stimulating Macedonian science and Macedonian young scientists up to 30 years of age. As one of the projects at the beginning of my term, I believe that the award justified the expectations, providing encouragement and support of the young Macedonian scientific thought.

Every year, the Commission faces a challenge, among around twenty applicants with exceptional quality, to choose the best among the best. I thank all the Commission members for their involvement in the selection of the holder of the award "Best Young Scientist". I thank the reviewers, who have done a great job together with the Commission.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By choosing the best young scientist for 4 years in a row, we contribute to the development of the young Macedonian scientific thought. The Republic of Macedonia has great potential in all academic areas. However, we need to invest in the potential. Hence, we should do everything so that the young scientists can take their seats in the educational institutions, companies, where they can contribute most with their scholarly work.

This year, the title "Best Young Scientist" is awarded to the youngest ever winner, Petar Stojanov, who has not yet turned 26. There are years and years of scientific work ahead of him. Stojanov was educated and started his professional career in the US, which shows that quality and open-mindedness do not recognize limits and barriers. Hopefully, despite international career, we will have the opportunity to see him much more in its home country, the Republic of Macedonia.

Our young scientists can compete with knowledge and creativity everywhere and with everyone. The mutual cooperation of our scientists, between those working abroad and those living and creating in the Republic of Macedonia, will be more valuable for them, for the Macedonian science and for the overall Macedonian society. In today's global and interdependent world, all scientists, regardless of where they come from and where they work, have an equal opportunity for promotion and presentation.
The field Petar Stojanov is working and exploring - bioinformatics is extremely important scientific discipline. It is in the top of the priority of research in the field of biomedical sciences in the advanced countries, and as such will be intensively developed and upgraded. Hence, I believe that we are yet to hear more about the scientific achievements of Stojanov.

At the end, I wish Petar Stojanov, and all the other young scientists who were part of the competition for selection of the best young scientist in 2013, much success and long fruitful scientific work.

Thank you.