Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished guests,
Dear friends,

Wisdom remained since ancient times that the language is the soul of one nation. Indeed, our reality is created as it is described by our language. Through the language, we authentically transfer to the future generations what we have inherited from our forefathers. Hence, the struggle for the language and literacy is a struggle for the soul of the nation. The Macedonian language was subject to such a struggle, too.

Continuing the work of the Macedonian renaissance from the 19th century and the codification made by Misirkov and the Macedonian scientific and literature association, the reality of the Macedonian literary language was confirmed exactly 70 years ago. In 1945 was the official adoption of the Macedonian alphabet and the Macedonian spelling. Liability derived from the Decision of the First ASNOM Session for introduction of the Macedonian language as the official language of the Macedonian state.

De Bray, in the "Guide for East-Slavic languages" wrote: "As irony of history, the people whose ancestors gave the first literary language to the Slavs, were the last to have their language approved as a separate Slavic language ...". Or, as the respected Trajko Stamatovski, 40 years ago, said: ... an old, old language, too late experienced its youth!

This year also marks 90 years since the publication in Athens of the Macedonian Language Abecedary for the Macedonian minority in Greece. The abecedary was prepared under international pressure and under the auspices of the League of Nations in Geneva. But the Abecedary never got into the hands of the teachers and students it was intended to. Almost whole circulation was seized and devastated by the authorities. Today, only a few originals are saved.

The Macedonian language still faces today numerous gainsayers who, trying to remove or rename it, impose a kind of symbolic oppression against the Macedonian identity.

However, many things have changed.

Unlike the situation in the first half of the last century, now we freely speak, write and create in Macedonian language, which has an increasing number of its speakers among the friends of Macedonia.

Following the codification of the modern Macedonian literary language, various kinds of educational and scientific institutions that study the Macedonian language were established. In the past 70 years, we have created all conditions for free and fair development of the Macedonian language and literature as part of the global linguistic science.

Almost half a century Ohrid is the host of the International Seminar on Macedonian Language, Literature and Culture. On this occasion I would like to welcome all participants, domestic and foreign Macedonists who provide their personal contribution to the rise of the values of the Macedonian language, alphabet and culture among the peoples of the world.

Dear friends,

The obligation to the native language is not only to know and to love it, but to constantly keep it as treasury of culture. We strongly believe that the trust in our own language is also confidence in oneself. By learning and studying the Macedonian language, you, the Macedonists around the world, become part of the circle of trust that we are building with decades. For that, we are very grateful to you.

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

Thank you.