Distinguished art lovers,

This year, for the 58th time, Ohrid and Macedonia will host hundreds of artists. These artists will bring the world with them, and afterwards they will carry Ohrid with them in the world as a Macedonian mirror of European culture. From today on, the world is in Ohrid and Ohrid is in the world. Hence, we will start this mutual intertwining tonight with music.

It is also with music that one evening the dinner started between friends from several Balkan countries, who met in a Balkan restaurant. There, they heard a famous folk love song. Each of them began singing it in his mother tongue and soon there was a quarrel over the selfish appropriation of that song of love. Trying to understand the paradox of the song with different verses but identical music, the most curious and courageous of them discovered the truth that music is the universal language of humanity.

That language cannot be translated because every soul understands it straightforwardly. Throughout history, there were unsuccessful attempts to reduce that language to a means of achieving selfish goals. They tried in vain through the art of lies and of political correctness to enslave man. Music and art have always helped man to be strong even when he is weak, to be rich when he is poor, to be free even when he is in chains, and to be encouraged when he is afraid. In that language of truth, there is no room for falsehood. In that language of love, there is no room for hatred. The two most famous songs in the history of the world are indeed dedicated to love. The Song of Songs written by Solomon of the Old Testament and the hymn of love composed by Paul of the New Testament.

It is not, however, by chance that one of the fathers of Europe, Jean Monnet, said that if Europe needs to be created all over again, then he would begin with culture and arts. This Monet's thought applies not only to Europe but to all the geo-strategies that are tailored in the world power centers, having in mind particularly the fact that this year marks 70 years from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of those rights is certainly the right to participate in the cultural life and to enjoy arts.

To this note, with the message "world in Ohrid and Ohrid in the world", as President of the Republic of Macedonia, I declare the 58th edition of the Ohrid Summer Festival open!