MDB No.

110

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

MACEDONIAN
D I P LO M AT I C B U L L E T I N

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER POPOSKI

ATTENDS GERMAN OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP TOLERANCE
AND DIVERSITY CONFERENCE
PAGE 4

IN FOCUS
UNITED NATIONS PARTNERSHIP
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2016-2020 SIGNED

DIPLOMATIC NEWS
ELENA MISIRKOVA:
THE SURNAME I BEAR PLACES A
GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY ON ME
PAGE 8/9

OC TOBER 2016

INTERVIEW: H.E. MR. DATUK MOHAMAD SADIK KETHERGANY,

AMBASSADOR OF MALAYSIA TO THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
PAGE 10/11

PAGE 5

GARI THE PEARL OF THE

MIJAK REGION
PAGE 15

DIPLOMATIC NEWS

MDB
Macedonian Diplomatic Bulletin was
founded in October 2006 by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia.

PRESIDENT IVANOV PAYS

WORKING VISIT TO SERBIA

Filip II Makedonski 7, 1000 Skopje

Republic of Macedonia
www.mfa.gov.mk
mdb@mfa.gov.mk
Editor:
Vladimir Efremovski
Editorial Board:
Zuko Rizvanski, Shaban Jashari,
Katerina Stavreska, and Sejfullah Shaqiri
Adviser:
Goce Georgievski
Photo:
Ljupco Blagoevski

Published monthly by:

Macedonian Information Centre
Director: Dragan Antonov
Chief Translator: Aleksandra Ilievska

Naum Naumovski Borce 73,

1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
www.micnews.com.mk

The articles published in Macedonian

Diplomatic Bulletin do not necessarily
represent the views of the Macedonian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the
Macedonian Information Centre.
2016

No. 110
October 2016

MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

acedonian President Gjorge Ivanov paid a working visit to the Republic of Serbia
from 28 to 30 October. In Belgrade, he met with his Serbian counterpart Tomislav
Nikoli. Opinions were shared on that occasion on the possibilities of advancing bilateral and
regional cooperation and on the latest developments in both countries and the challenges
the region was facing.
In the past 20 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the Republic of Macedonia and
the Republic of Serbia succeeded in building truly friendly relations and continued political
dialogue with a view to promoting cooperation in all areas, President Ivanov said afterward.
President Nikoli stressed they agreed that the political relations between the two countries
were very good and that during this period full of an array of challenges they proved that
through cooperation and talks it was possible to prevent and go beyond all difficulties. They
both raised the issue of signing a bilateral agreement on protection and use of cultural and
historical monuments and plaques in the territories of both countries.
Also, they both addressed the event organized in Panevo, Serbia, to commemorate the
great jubilee 70 years of the settlement of Macedonians in Vojvodina.
The Macedonian community in the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian community in
the Republic of Macedonia are guarantors of the good relations between the two friendly
countries. The Macedonians in Serbia and the Serbs in Macedonia are at the same time loyal
citizens to their countries and committed members of their ethnic communities, President
Ivanov said in his address.
A Tree of Friendship was planted to celebrate the occasion and a sister city protocol
was signed between the municipalities of Makedonski Brod and Jabuka. As part of the
celebration, the two presidents visited the exhibition of art works by academic painter Pavle
Kuzmanovski and a varied cultural and artistic program was shown.
During President Ivanovs working visit to Belgrade, a Macedonian-Serbian business
forum was held at which Presidents Ivanov and Nikoli and the Chairmen of the Economic
Chambers of the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia delivered remarks. The
occasion was also used to announce that a Macedonian-Serbian business club would be
founded early next year.

DIPLOMATIC NEWS

MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT IVANOV ATTENDS

CONGRESS OF PENEUROPEAN UNION IN VIENNA

he President of the Republic of

Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, paid a
working visit to the Republic of Austria
on 810 October to attend the Congress
of the International Paneuropean Union
in Vienna. The event marked 90 years
of the first Pan-Europa Congress held
in 1926. President Ivanov addressed the
panel centering on the European Union's
enlargement.
He also had a meeting with the former
President of the Republic of Austria, Heinz
Fischer, at which they tabled the latest
developments in Europe and the European
Union, the migrant crisis and the challenges
the countries of Southeast Europe faced.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

PRESIDENCY MEMBER IVANI
PAYS VISIT TO MACEDONIA

n 6 October, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov received

Mladen Ivani, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, during his working visit to the Republic of Macedonia.
The two officials agreed that bilateral relations were good and free
of any outstanding issues and expressed interest in enhancing and
promoting cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.
Opinions and ideas were shared on the situation in the region
in the context of the ongoing challenges and the prospects for its
Euro-Atlantic integration, on the coming meetings of the regional
initiatives in which both countries participate and on the ways to
promote regional and multilateral cooperation. President Ivanov
underscored the commitment of the Republic of Macedonia to

promoting further relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and

particularly to deepening cooperation in the areas of economy and
security. The two officials also agreed that the economic cooperation
wasnt keeping pace with the development of political relations nor
did it reflect the two counties real possibilities.

NATO DELEGATION PAYS MACEDONIA

REGULAR MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN VISIT

rom 3 to 7 October, a NATO delegation made up of

representatives of the international services in charge
of the Republic of Macedonia paid the country their annual
visit within the framework of the NATO Membership Action
Plan. During the visit, the NATO team held meetings with
representatives of government and state institutions at which
an overview was jointly made of the implementation of the

activities envisaged in the Annual National Program for

Membership of the Republic of Macedonia in NATO 20152016
of the 17th Membership Action Plan cycle.
The ongoing Membership Action Plan cycle is going to
end with a meeting of the Republic of Macedonia with the
ambassadors of the North-Atlantic Council, to be held at
NATO's headquarters in Brussels in early 2017.

No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

DIPLOMATIC NEWS

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER

POPOSKI ATTENDS GERMAN OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY CONFERENCE

n 20 October, at the invitation of

the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Federal Republic of Germany, FrankWalter Steinmeier, the Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola
Poposki, attended the Conference
on Tolerance and Diversity that the
German Chairmanship of the OSCE
organized in Berlin.
At Poposkis meeting with his host,
it was emphasized that the electoral
process had to be impeccable and that it
depended on its quality whether, based
on the European Commissions previous
recommendations, the Euro-Atlantic
integration agenda of the Republic of
Macedonia could move forward.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Poposki also met Moldovas
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European
Integration, Andrei Galbur, the Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship
Group with South-Eastern Europe, Stephan Albani, the Executive

Director of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations,

Michael Harms, and the members of the German Bundestag, Heinz
Wiese, Johannes Selle, Johann Wadephul, Alexander Neu and Josip
Juratovic.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER POPOSKI

ATTENDS BRUSSELS CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

n 5 October, Nikola Poposki, the Deputy Prime

Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Macedonia, took part in the Brussels
Conference on Afghanistan organized by the
European Union and the Afghan Government. The
Conference was attended by representatives of EU
institutions, member states, candidate member states,
third countries and 25 international organizations.
The commitment to strengthening cooperation with
Afghanistan and the collective dedication to creating
a political, social and economic environment that
would help the country consolidate its peace, security
and sustainable development were reaffirmed at
the event.
In his address at the Conference, whose motto
was Partnership for Prosperity and Peace, Minister
Poposki underscored that the Republic of Macedonia was going to
stay committed to the activities of bringing Afghanistan stabilization
and development and was going to stay one of the biggest per-capita
contributors in the future, too.
Since 2002, the Republic of Macedonia has been continuously
contributing to the building of Afghanistans peace and stability, by
being part of the peacekeeping missions and through its contribution to

MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

building institutions with various training programs and operations,

Poposki said.
Minister Poposki assessed the Conference as very important to
the Republic of Macedonia also with regard to the migrant crisis that
Europe is faced with. During the event, he met with his counterparts
from Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India
and Serbia.

DIPLOMATIC NEWS

UNITED NATIONS PARTNERSHIP FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2016-2020 SIGNED

n 31 October, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the

Republic of Macedonia, in the attendance of representatives
of government institutions, civil society organizations and the
international community, the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola
Poposki, and UN Resident Coordinator Louisa Vinton signed
the United Nations Partnership for Sustainable Development
2016-2020 strategy. The strategy, for the implementation of
which 120.9 million dollars have been allocated, seeks to
promote equal and sustainable development and to support
Macedonia's integration into the European Union.
Five priority areas of cooperation have been identified:
employment, good governance, social inclusion, sustainable
environment and gender equality.

"Promoting employment, good governance and professional

institutions, better social inclusion and care for the most
vulnerable categories of citizens, as well as clean and sustainable
environment are the areas that contribute to better living
conditions for the population and prosperity for the country.
Making improvements in these areas is also important to our
integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures," said the Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Macedonia, Nikola Poposki.
He also stressed that the signing of the strategy with the
UN Resident Coordinator built on the joint activities that the
Government of the Republic of Macedonia considered to be
of top national relevance in the next five years.

MACEDONIAN AND CZECH DEPUTY

FOREIGN MINISTERS HOLD POLITICAL CONSULTATIONS

olitical consultations between the Republic of Macedonia

and the Czech Republic were held in Prague on 10 October at
the level of deputy ministers of foreign affairs. The Macedonian
delegation was led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the
Republic of Macedonia, Ilija Isajlovski, and the Czech delegation
by the Czech Republics Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for
European Issues, Jakub Drr. Isajlovski and Drr both said
they were pleased with the level of bilateral relations which they
deemed as excellent and stressed the importance of continuing
the political dialogue and advancing further cooperation in
economy, defense, internal affairs, culture, education and all the

other areas of shared interest. Deputy Foreign Minister Drr

reiterated the Czech support for Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic
integration and in handling the challenges relating to the
migrant crisis, while his Macedonian counterpart expressed
gratitude for the material and financial assistance that the
Czech Republic had extended to the Republic of Macedonia
in this regard.
Isajlovski also met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs for Security and Multilateral Issues, Ivo rmek, and
the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in charge of the
European Union and Foreign Trade Section, Vladimr Brtl.

No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

DIPLOMATIC NEWS

PANEL DISCUSSION HELD TO MARK 25 YEARS OF

POLISH-GERMAN TREATY ON GOOD-NEIGHBORLINESS,
FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

n 25 October, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic

of Macedonia, a panel discussion was held to mark the 25th
anniversary of the Polish-German Treaty on Good-Neighborliness,
Friendship and Cooperation, in which Elena Kuzmanovska, State
Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took part.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Christine
Althauser, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, Jacek
Multanowski, the Director of the Foundation for Polish-German
Cooperation, Cornelius Ochmann, the Director of the European
Solidarity Center of Gdask, Basil Kerski, also delivered remarks at
the panel discussion.

VISEGRD GROUP DIRECTORS OF ANALYTICS AND

STRATEGIC PLANNING HOLD WORKING CONSULTATIONS
WITH MACEDONIAN MFA COUNTERPARTS

n 13 October, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic

of Macedonia, a working meeting was held in the format of
informal consultations of the directors for analytics and strategic
planning in the Visegrd Group member countries (the Republic
of Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Hungary)
with their counterparts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Macedonia.
At the meeting, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Poland as a country holding the V4 Chairmanship, expert opinions
were shared on the ongoing foreign policy issues of interest to the

Republic of Macedonia and the V4 countries. The importance of

the Visegrd Groups support for the aspirations of the Republic of
Macedonia for EU and NATO membership and the importance of
the help these countries have given Macedonia in dealing with the
migrant crisis were underscored at the meeting. Planning study
trips both bilaterally and within V4 in the future on concrete topics
was also agreed, as this type of consultations represents an excellent
opportunity to share experience and knowledge from the field of
analytics taking into consideration the countries modern needs
for quality analytical reports at the national and international level.

INDONESIAS AMBASSADOR SRI ASTARI RASJID

HOLDS LECTURE AT MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

he Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic

of Macedonia resident in Sofia, Sri Astari Rasjid, held
a lecture Indonesia: Unity in Diversity at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs on 27 October. Macedonian diplomats and civil
servants from other institutions in the Republic of Macedonia
attended the lecture organized by the Diplomatic Academy of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The lecture focused on the Indonesian-Macedonian relations
and cooperation in all areas in the past several years. The
Ambassador also spoke about Indonesias economic growth
advantages, cultural diversity, political system, energy and
infrastructure policy, relations with neighbors and latest
security policy development trends.

MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

MACEDONIA IN FOCUS

DAY OF MACEDONIAN
REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE OBSERVED

3 October, Day of Macedonia's Revolutionary

Struggle, was marked with a number of events.
On this occasion, a gala ceremony was held at the
Macedonian Opera and Ballet at which Prime Minister
Emil Dimitriev delivered remarks, while delegations of
the Parliament and the Government of the Republic of
Macedonia laid flowers at the monument of the VMRO
founders in the ena Borec Park.
Also, the 23 October Awards were presented at the
Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia. Prof. Dr.
Dragan Dautovski, a music artist, Vano Petruevski,
an actor, and Rexhai Iseni, a fine artist, received the
award for achievements in the fields of culture and
art, and Stefan Vlahov, a historian and philosopher,
and Agim Poloska, an Albanian language, culture
and history scholar, for achievements in the fields of
science and education.

REVOLUTION DAY MARKED

he 75th anniversary of 11 October, Macedonia's Revolution

Day, was celebrated with a number of events with which
tribute was paid to the Second World War fighters and all
the people that won Macedonia's freedom. State and party
delegations laid flowers at the Second World War memorials
and a gala ceremony was held at the Parliament of the Republic
of Macedonia at which Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski

delivered remarks. At the Parliament's Assembly Hall, the 11

October Awards for 2016 were presented for achievements in the
fields of science, art, business and other areas of public interest
in the Republic of Macedonia. In the fields of culture and art,
the lifetime achievement award went to Blagoja Manevski, a
fine artist, Raim Ganiji, a writer, Elena Misirkova, a pianist,
and Atilla Kline, an actor.

No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

MACEDONIA IN FOCUS
INTERVIEW

Ms. Elena Misirkova, Ambassador of Culture of the

Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of Austria

THE SURNAME I BEAR PLACES A

GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY ON ME
The Macedonian language and its
code, our precious legacy from the
philologist and political scientist
Misirkov, is one of the main
characteristics of the Macedonian
people and nation, different
from any other people and
nation on the map of the world

ouve been recently presented with the 11 October National

Award for lifetime achievements in the fields of culture and
art for 2016. What does this highest award for science, culture
and other areas of public interest in the Republic of Macedonia
mean to you?
Receiving it on the day the national liberation movement started
against the fascist occupation of Macedonia means a lot to me
especially because my ancestors on my maternal side are from
Prilep, the city that I would describe with a single word and
that is resistance. It is both an occasion to take stock of past
achievements and a motive to strive to achieve more. I am excited
now to continue my journey but would also like to dedicate
this award to the Macedonian reconciliation in a time when
internationally we are denied our basic right to exist freely as a
separate entity with our own name and identity on the map of
the world. At the crossroads at which Macedonia stands today,
I decided to pass part of my knowledge and education on to the
younger generations by working as professor at Goce Delev
University in Macedonia.

ou are the first Macedonian female artist to have held a solo

concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. You have also taken part
in numerous important festivals across the world and since 2007
have been Macedonias Ambassador of Culture to the Republic
of Austria. Is it harder to be an Ambassador of Macedonian
Culture or a stellar Macedonian pianist of international career?
My concerts have always been a way for me to relay my endless
love of art and music to my audience in the form of music ideas
and to also present Macedonias cultural heritage by performing

MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

music by Macedonian composers on the stages around the world

because of my endless love for my country, Macedonia. My
performances, however, are closely tied to my education and
enormous amount of knowledge gained at the Gnessin Russian
Academy of Music in the Russian Federation, the former USSR,
where I was fortunate to communicate with excellent professors
and scholars in a wonderful environment. As far as my activities
as Ambassador of Culture to Austria are concerned, in close
cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of
Macedonia and the Macedonian Embassy in Vienna, we managed
to organize performances by numerous Macedonian theater and
music companies and well-known Macedonian painters and
artists. In my opinion, the link between my two occupations is
inextricable; they overlap and complement each other.

ustria is your second homeland and Vienna is the place

where your remarkable art achievements are recognized
and verified. To become part of the top music circles of Vienna,
the worlds center of culture, with stunning history of culture
and music, requires very hard work and sacrifice. What are your
next music projects?
To be able to work and create in an environment with such a rich
music tradition and history and to compete against the best of
the best in Vienna, the heart of Europe, to be part of Austrias
music culture while at the same time drawing inspiration from
the ancient strength, tradition and rich music and civilization
heritage of my Macedonian ancestors is probably the most
beautiful life combination that I won while walking the thorny
but that much more precious and rewarding path of my personal
growth. My future projects are connected to my second homeland,

MACEDONIA IN FOCUS
Austria. The Macedonian Philharmonics and I are preparing
a joint performance at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in
December this year.

ou are the great granddaughter of Krste Petkov Misirkov, a

Macedonian philologist, codifier of the Macedonian standard
language and orthography, historian, ethnographer and linguist.
Recently you staged a concert at the Macedonian Opera and
Ballet in Skopje in his honor. While playing the piano, did you
remember for a moment your family roots from which in fact you
draw today the energy and inspiration that make you a worldrenowned Macedonian pianist?
The surname I bear places a great deal of responsibility on me not
only because of being his great granddaughter but also because
of being a Macedonian that attributes sacred value to the code
of the Macedonian standard language, the awareness of our own
identity, and the authentic religious and secular tradition of
the Macedonian people that has always differed from any other
tradition in the world. As a curiosity I would mention the fact that
on Misirkovs estate in Postol (Pella) is the bank and ruins of the

palace of Alexander III of Macedon (who according to historical

records talked to his soldiers not in Greek but in Macedonian).
Pella is also the birthplace of my father and grandfather but
belongs today to the part of Macedonia annexed by Greece under
the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913. The Macedonian language and its
code, our precious legacy from the philologist and political scientist
Misirkov, is one of the main characteristics of the Macedonian
people and nation, different from any other people and nation
on the map of the world. The language in the traditional sense of
the word is also our inextricable link to our ancestors that runs
not years but centuries back. The idea for the concert dedicated
to Krste Petkov Misirkov, which I sincerely hope will become
traditional, seeks to remind us of the significance of Misirkovs
work, his tireless efforts on an international scale, and his fight
for Macedonias autonomy and recognition by the great powers
since the beginning of the 20th century, which ended 90 years
ago, in 1926, with his untimely, tragic death, and is confirmation
of his being the cornerstone upon which, despite the negative
aspirations of our neighbors and Macedonias false friends in
the international community, today we tread fearlessly, with
resolve and determination.

SHNIT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL HELD

AT CINEMATHEQUE OF MACEDONIA

n 12 October, at the Cinematheque of

Macedonia, the Shnit International
Film Festival was held within whose
framework the following six short films
from six countries were shown: "Very Lonely
Cock" by Leonid Shmelkov of Russia, "Bon

Voyage" by Marc Wilkins of Switzerland,

"The Runner" by Jos Luis Montesinos of
Spain, "Strange Bird" by Anouk Fortunier
of Belgium, "Ellis" by Nolan Cubero of the
USA and "The Bathtub" by Tim Ellrich
of Austria. The Shnit Film Festival was

launched in 2003 in Bern as a 2-day event

and has since grown into a 12-day event
with a unique concept - it is a transnational
film festival held simultaneously in several
cities on five continents.

OSTEN HOSTS EXHIBIT BY AUTHORS FROM GREECE AND TURKEY

t Osten Gallery, from 6 to 13 October,

an exhibit was held of selected authors
from the Hellenic Republic and the Republic
of Turkey. Their works will also be featured
in the Gallery's catalogue. They are Ioannis

Anastasiou, George Androutsos, Glyka

Dionysopoulou, Harris Kondosphyris,
Alexandra Mantzari and Christina Tzani
of the Hellenic Republic, and Nuray
Akkol, Ahmet Albayrak, Altay Aldoan,

Merih Tekin Bender, Esra Bulte, Ahmet

Doksanolu, Mustafa Haykir, ef kat
legen, Ali Nakus, alar Uzun, Yasemin
Yac, Nevin Yavuz Azeri and Mustafa
Yurdaer of the Republic of Turkey.

MACEDONIAN LITERATURE PRESENTED AT FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

t the Frankfurt Book Fair held from 19

to 23 October, the Macedonian stand
featured over 500 books by more than a
hundred Macedonian authors, monographs
and publications by a number of publishers
and institutions. The capital editions of the
Government of the Republic of Macedonia

and the Ministry of Culture, including

the project "Anthology of Macedonia
Literature", which has also been translated
into German, were presented, too. The
large German-Macedonian Dictionary by
Nina Dimitrova-Schmieger and Roland
Schmieger, who have dedicated almost two

decades of their lives to its compilation,

was also promoted at the fair. The debate
focusing on Macedonian literature and
the efforts to make it globally known drew
considerable attention, too.

No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

DIPLOMACY AND COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW

H.E. Mr. Datuk Mohamad Sadik Kethergany, Ambassador of Malaysia to

the Republic of Macedonia

MALAYSIAS FOREIGN POLICY HAS TO

EVOLVE WITH THE FAST CHANGING
REALITIES OF THE WORLD TODAY

our Excellency, Malaysia's foreign policy is basically an extension

of Malaysias domestic policy and it's designed to defend and
promote the country's national, political, economic and other vital
interests. The Republic of Macedonia pays special attention to the
development and promotion of overall relations with friendly
Malaysia, bilaterally and multilaterally. Do you believe that bilateral
relations, during your term as Ambassador of Malaysia to the
Republic of Macedonia, could reach a new more intensive phase?
I believe every diplomat who is posted abroad has a mission to enhance
the bilateral relations between his country and the receiving country.
I am no exception. As Malaysias Ambassador to the Republic of
Macedonia, I am honored and privileged to undertake this assignment
and committed to pursue this mission. I remain optimistic that the
bilateral relations between Malaysia and Macedonia could be elevated
to a higher plane for there exist huge potentials for mutual cooperation.
However, both sides need to exercise greater efforts to explore the
potential areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Yes, Malaysias foreign policy is essentially an extension of its
domestic policy. Today, foreign policy is no longer the domain of the
foreign ministry. Foreign policy and domestic policy are very much
inter-twinned and inter-connected. At the same time, Malaysia is a
fast emerging economy with tremendous growing needs. Malaysia
has set its target to become a high-income economy by the year
2020 and we are on track to achieving that goal. To attain this
target, Malaysia cannot live in isolation but should develop friendly

10

MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

relations with the rest of the world including Macedonia. Malaysias

foreign policy is strongly founded on principles. As a responsible
member of the international community, we uphold the sanctity
of the charter of the United Nations and remain steadfast to our
obligations to bilateral agreements, regional and international treaties.
However, our foreign policy is not cast on stone. It has to evolve
with the fast changing realities of the world today. In the pursuit of
our foreign policy objectives, Malaysia does not believe in imposing
its will unto others but in attaining its goals through dialogues
and consultations. The era of a zero-sum game is over. We live in
an inter-connected and inter-dependent world. Therefore states,
civil societies and businesses need to cooperate and engage in
healthy competition, compromise and give and take for a winwin solution. Managing relations between states is a process that
may take some time to root and bear fruit. I may not even see the
outcome of the diplomatic efforts that I have initiated but I shall be
pleased that I have been part of the process that sowed the seed and
contributed towards the enhancement of our bilateral relations. No
doubt, our bilateral political relations are strongly footed. In my
meetings with the leaders in Macedonia, I sense that there is a strong
desire to expand and deepen our bilateral ties in many spheres of
cooperation. We also see eye-to-eye on many contemporary issues of
international concern. We have supported each others candidatures
to international bodies. At this juncture I would like to convey our
heartfelt appreciation for the support given by Macedonia to our
recent candidatures to the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) Council and the Council of Administration of the Universal
Postal Union (UPU). This support is a testimony of the confidence
that Macedonia has in Malaysias capability to contribute actively
and positively towards meeting the goals of both institutions.

alaysia continues to seize opportunities to enhance its relations

with the Central and Eastern European countries both
politically and economically. In expanding Malaysia's interests,
it is important to forge new ties with these emerging economies
with the aim of increasing trade and economic exchanges. In this
context, how can businessmen of both countries be encouraged
to explore the potential that exists in our two countries?
Malaysia is a trading country and has been a successful free market
economy despite its small size of only 30 million people. In 2015,
Malaysia was ranked 14th most competitive nation in the world as
reported in the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) by the
Institute for Management Development (IMD). This indicates the
resilience of Malaysias economy owing to continuing fiscal reforms,
initiatives taken to control the rising cost of living, diversification
of the economy, up skilling of the capabilities and expertise,
revising of the education system and reforming and modernizing

DIPLOMACY AND COMMUNITY

of the tax system. The government remains focused on increasing
productivity, encouraging innovation and facilitating the ease of doing
business. It is continuously exploring new opportunities worldwide
including Macedonia whilst strengthening and expanding relations
in the traditional markets. Let me assure the Macedonian business
communities that the Malaysian government is a pro-business
friendly government. Various incentives are provided to attract
business people to do business in Malaysia. We are pleased that as
a result of our Governments pro-business policies, Government
Transformation Programme (GTP) and Economic Transformation
Programme (ETP), Malaysia is ranked 18th in the World Banks
Ease of Doing Business Index. Malaysia has to date attracted
more than 5,000 foreign companies from more than 40 countries.
There is a greater need to double our efforts to increase awareness
on the potentials that exist in each country. Governments serve to
facilitate and provide the enabling environment for business to thrive.
The National Chambers of Commerce from both countries need to
maintain regular contacts to keep abreast of opportunities that are in
store for their respective business communities. Business-to-Business
(BTB) meetings, seminars, forums are important avenues where
business people from both sides could engage and explore possible areas
of cooperation. Malaysian and Macedonian business entrepreneurs
could even collaborate in a joint venture project in a third country.

ublic diplomacy is seen as one of the most crucial tools in the

practice of diplomacy today. A public diplomacy that is proactive,
timely, well-coordinated, accurate, factual and informative is
essential in advancing foreign policy imperatives. How do you assess
the need for proactive cooperation in the field of public diplomacy?
The challenges posed by the social media are immense. We live in a
world today where everyone is a writer who writes about anything.
Public opinion and perceptions are easily influenced by unscrupulous
writers. As a result, public diplomacy is fast becoming a major
instrument of foreign policy. Realizing this need, public diplomacy
is one of the core issues outlined in Malaysias strategic foreign policy
given the increased demand for effective and efficient services from
stakeholders and clients both at home and abroad. Therefore, public
diplomacy could help to dispel the misconception and narrow the gap
between factual and incorrect information about Malaysia abroad.
Malaysia and Macedonia can cooperate using the various components
of public diplomacy to achieve their foreign policy objectives. It
is through continuous promotion and dissemination of correct
information using both the traditional print and the electronic and
social media that the Malaysian and Macedonian public will have access
to accurate update not only on foreign policy development but also
on domestic economy and social policies in both countries. We can
also activate cultural diplomacy through various cultural programs
and exchange of films, intensify public information, student exchange
programs and short courses in both countries. Macedonias annual
International Youth program is an excellent platform for youth to
establish networking and foster inter-cultural appreciation. I hope
to see Malaysian youth participate in that program in the future.
I would also welcome any initiative that encourages and facilitates
contacts between people from both countries. People-to-people
relations are a great asset to enhance better understanding of each other.
I am encouraged by the support given by both the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce (Department of
Tourism) of Macedonia in facilitating a private Malaysian TV to

shoot a documentary series about Macedonia. This film will be shown

on Malaysian TV channels and I believe this will help to promote
Macedonias great cultural heritage in Malaysia. As awareness increases,
I believe the number of Malaysian tourist arrivals in Macedonia and
vice versa will surge. I am equally pleased that there has been positive
indication from Skopje to establish its resident mission in Malaysia.
The Embassy would serve as a catalyst to foster and heighten bilateral
relations in all spheres of cooperation. We welcome this initiative
and stand ready to render our assistance to facilitate this process.

he Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was

established with the aim of enhancing the economic growth
and maintaining the stability and security of the region. As a
founding member of ASEAN, the foreign policy of Malaysia
continues to emphasize the relevance and importance of ASEAN,
and actively reaffirms its commitment to working within ASEAN
to achieve peace, security and prosperity in the region. Your
Excellency, what are ASEANs most important challenges today?
ASEAN is the cornerstone of Malaysias foreign policy. In 2017, ASEAN
will celebrate its 50th Anniversary and we are proud that ASEAN has
proven to be one of the most successful regional organizations today.
Malaysia is strongly committed to continue to work hand-in-glove with
the other member states of ASEAN to promote and sustain peace and
security in the region. In 2015, under Malaysias Chairmanship, ASEAN
made a significant milestone by turning into a single Community.
What lies ahead following the establishment of the ASEAN
Community poses interesting challenges and opportunities
for the 10 member states. ASEAN presents to the world a
combined market of over 600 million people. It is poised to
be the 4th largest economy in the world by the year 2030.
The region has become one of the worlds fastest growing investment
destinations, accounting for 11% of total global foreign direct
investment (FDI) inflows in 2014, compared to a mere 5% in 2007. These
achievements are attributed to the stable political climate in the region,
business-friendly environment in ASEAN made through common
frameworks, mutual cooperation in important areas such as financial
services, intellectual property rights as well as SME development.
Following the inception of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA)
and the significant reduction in the lowering of the intra-regional
tariffs, intra-ASEAN trade continues to grow at a promising rate, too.
Intra-ASEAN trade in total stood at 24% valued at USD 545 billion
as of June 2016, according to statistics from the ASEAN Secretariat.
ASEANs location in the global production networks presents its
potential to integrate further into the global economy. ASEAN is
making the most out of its trade and investment links with major
regional economies via the ASEAN+1 free trade and comprehensive
economic partnership agreements (FTAs/CEPs) with countries like
China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
The main challenge is to ensure the inclusivity of the ASEAN
Community towards narrowing the development gaps within
and between ASEAN member states and improving further the
connectivity within the region so that it benefits all ASEAN nations
through enhanced trade, investment, tourism and development.
It is equally pertinent for ASEAN to increase its Information
Communication Technology (ICT) connectivity to improve
intra-ASEAN networks as well as to strengthen people to people
connectivity.
No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

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diplomacy and community

HONORARY CONSULS

Ms. Kaliopa Stilinovic, Honorary Consul of France in Bitola

FRANCE TAUGHT ME TO KNOW,

TO THINK, TO DREAM. ITS ALL THERE

his invitation to write about my consular

activity is very inspiring. And for more
than one reason. Undoubtedly, it as a beautiful
occasion to reflect on the cooperation I had
earlier had with the Diplomatic Bulletin, but
more importantly, it overlaps with a wonderful
milestone of mine: it is in these late days
of October that my career as an honorary
consul rounds off its 21 year. By all criteria,
American ones inclusive, my career has
reached full maturity. And maturity means
that there is plenty to write about, starting
with my love of history and the past, the
numerous events and activities that have
marked my term, then the activities organized
on a daily basis, and also those that are to be
planned and realized in the future.
Even the feeling can be defined; an
unusual fusion of honor, commitment and
contentment in the course of all these years
representing the French Republic, in line
exactly with the years that make me the
doyenne of the honorary consular corps
diplomatique in the Republic of Macedonia.
My love affair with the French language
and the French culture started in my early
childhood and guilty as charged for my
initiation are actually my parents both
students of the once active French college
in the city of Bitola, the francophone and
Francophile city that successfully maintains
its status of privilege in the francophone
universe.

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MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

And, this was the beginning upon which

the long line of dedication and loyalty to
the language and culture were built, to be
simply recognized by the first Ambassador
of France to the Republic of Macedonia, Mr.
Patrick Chrismant, who appointed me Consul
Honoraire de la Rpublique franaise on
October 24, 1995. Just a few months later,
in early June of 1996, the then President of
the French Assembly, Mr. Philippe Sguin,
inaugurated the Consulate, whose flagpole
at the renowned irok Sokak is still waving
the French banner.
Whereas Bitola, a city with an everlasting
romantic perception of its consular past,
saw in this act a kind of restoration of the
old glamour, which nevertheless, proved to
be true, several other countries followed in
Frances footsteps establishing their consulates
here and appointing both honorary and career
diplomats.
Years of connectivity to the French
Embassy, infused with dedicated participation
in every activity, mission and event of the
Embassy that affects Bitola in any sense,
followed. My city comprehends the Consulate
and my function as the first and unavoidable
location where every piece of information
regarding France can be obtained, be it related
to education, culture, economy, or tourism.
The requests addressed to me are of a diverse
character, ranging from rather banal to most
complex ones. And I am doing my best to
lend a hand to everyone and to provide the
necessary response by making use of my
regular contacts and excellent cooperation
with the French Embassy in Skopje and the
Institut Franais. The French known for their
refined impeccability of expression usually
prefer to refer to my position as the antenna
of the Embassy. Of course, this is not far
from being true. In my everyday activity,
this has always meant and still means taking
care of people holding French citizenship
in and around Bitola, as by definition, in
terms of providing administrative and logistic
assistance and support, issuance of relevant
documents certificates, confirmations,
legalizations This has always meant and
still means cooperation and joint projects with

the city, with the Municipality of Bitola, with

the University, with educational and cultural
institutions. This has meant and still means
organization of visits, ceremonies, lectures,
exhibitions, concerts, and also involves
following the activity of the Alliance Franaise,
then initiating, promoting, monitoring and
supporting a variety of projects deriving
from the cooperation between the twin
cities of Bitola and pinal, participation in
and promotion of projects for protection of
cultural heritage that are realized in Bitola
with the support of the Association Nationale
des Villes et Pays dart et dhistoire et des
Villes secteurs sauvegards et protgs,
providing support for the cooperation between
the Republic of Macedonia and the Region of
(Lower) Normandy, and for projects in the
area of supporting the fire-fighting brigade
and civil protection unit, and, above all, being
responsible for the French Military Cemetery
I am entrusted with. The organization of
all those visits and ceremonies assist in
remembering the past as my own way of
discovering the mmoire. There is also my
active, recent engagement in an ambitious
project which is about to see the light of day
in the presence of the French Ambassador,
H.E. Mr. Christian Thimonier, and, in the
light of the centennial anniversary of the
First World War, the Memorial Museum of
the French Military Cemetery.
To me personally, beside the efforts and
difficulties that are actual components of
every job, no matter how honorary it is,
and even though it is often much more than
that, this has been a wonderful time. Time
packed with invaluable contacts, beautiful
events, meetings, projects, exchanges, new
acquaintances, skills, arts, experiences
gained. Always a wonderful moment, an
ever developing treasure that transmits itself,
a simple, yet firm relation, almost a challenge.
My involvement with the Embassy in
Skopje, via my active participation and
engagement in its missions, activities
and projects in Bitola, has always been
acknowledged and accordingly respected to
the highest possible level. Les mots damour
is the title of the editorial published in the

diplomacy and community

prestigious Le Monde of March 2015, through which the wellknown journalist Benoit Hopqun depicts the respectful years of my
affiliation and devotedness.
The decorations I have been presented with, like the Ordre des
Palmes acadmiques, the Ordre national du Mrite, and especially
the highest ranked one, the Ordre national de la Lgion dhonneur
in 2015 that made me the first female recipient in the Republic of
Macedonia, have all brought great honor and satisfaction to me. They

are of course further encouraging me to see them as a stimulus for

keeping up with the beautiful and noble missions in this world of
today with an evolution so complex and contradictory, for the single
purpose of improving the quality of our lives a preoccupying drive
shared by everyone and not recognizing any national boundaries.
And I keep going because as the grand writer Victor Hugo put it,
France has taught me to SAVOIR, PENSER, RVER. ET TOUT EST
L. (KNOW, THINK, DREAM. ITS ALL THERE).

DAY OF GERMAN
UNITY OBSERVED

he Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany hosted a reception

at the Aleksandar Palace Hotel on 3 October to celebrate 26 years
of the German Unity Day. German Ambassador Christine Althauser
delivered remarks before the present government officials and the
numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps, media and civil
society organizations. The Piccolo childrens choir of Skopje, which
especially for this occasion included children with disabilities, too,
sang the national anthems of the Republic of Macedonia and the
Federal Republic of Germany.

Deutsche Botschaft Skopje

CZECH EMBASSY HOSTS RECEPTION TO MARK NATIONAL DAY

he Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Republic of Macedonia

hosted a reception on 18 October to commemorate 28 October
1918, the Independence Day of Czechoslovakia. The reception took
place at NLB Bankas Gallery in the centre of Skopje.
The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Gjorge Ivanov,
the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Arbr Ademi,
the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Oliver Spasovski, and numerous
other important guests and representatives of the diplomatic corps
attended the reception.
The prominent guests also included the famous film director Mr.
Ji Svoboda, script editor Mrs. Mara Arichteva and producer Mr.
Viktor Kritov, who introduced their films Jan Hus and Cyril and
Methodius: The Apostles of the Slavs shown during the International
Film Festival Bogorodien pokrov (1519 October).
Ambassador Miroslav Rame talked in his opening speech
about the thousand-year-old tradition of the Czech State, the most
important personalities in the Czech history, the spiritual, cultural
and linguistic similarities between the two nations, their longtime
historical connection and their cooperation of more than twenty
years in many areas. He also emphasized the Czech support for the
integration of Macedonia into the EU and NATO.

Over 200 guests could enjoy some of the traditional dishes of

the Czech cuisine, the exhibition Great Czechs by Little Czechs
and art works by the Macedonian participants in the International
Childrens Exhibition of Fine Arts Lidice.

MDB would like to thank H.E. Mr. mr LENDIL, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the Republic of Turkey, for his completed diplomatic mission in the Republic of Macedonia.

No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

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diplomacy and community

CELEBRATION OF HUNGARYS NATIONAL DAY 60TH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE 1956 HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION AND FREEDOM FIGHT

n the occasion of 23 October, Hungarys National Day, the

Embassy of Hungary hosted a reception in Skopje. This year
marked the 60thAnniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and
Freedom Fight, so the main theme of the reception was the expression
of gratitude to the Hungarian heroes and to those who sheltered
and helped them. Contemporary Hungarians owe the true heroes
of 1956 the youth of October a debt of gratitude for the heroism,
patriotism and pure, self-sacrificing struggle with which they finally
achieved the victory of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight in
1989. Ambassador Lszl Dux expressed his thanks to the people
of Macedonia and Kruevo who provided shelter to 550 Hungarians
after the revolution in 1957 and 1958. The Embassy together with
the Hungarian Telecottage Association inaugurated a memorial
plaque in Kruevo earlier this year to commemorate the event. He
also mentioned that representatives of those helpers will be guests
to the Hungarian Government during the central celebrations in
Budapest. The Hungarian Executive Chef of Marriott Hotel Skopje

prepared some rare Hungarian culinary specialties and sweets for

the guests of the reception.

AUSTRIAN NATIONAL
DAY CELEBRATED

n 26 October 2016, the Austrian Ambassador to Macedonia,

Renate Kobler hosted a reception at at the Foyer of the
Macedonian Opera and Ballet to mark the Austrian National Day.
In 2016 Austria celebrates the 61st Anniversary of the Austrian reindependence after WWII and the Austrian Neutrality Law adopted
on 26 October 1955.
The reception was attended by the President of the Republic
of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, as well as Ministers, Members of
Parliaments, high-ranking Macedonian officials and numerous
guests and friends of the Embassy.

MFA HOSTS 20TH DIPLOMATIC

TENNIS TOURNAMENT

he Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia

organized the traditional autumn diplomatic tennis
tournament on the courts of the ABC Tennis Club of Skopje
on 15 October. Representatives of the diplomatic missions,
consular posts and international missions accredited to the
Republic of Macedonia, including US Ambassador Jess Baily,
Italian Ambassador Carlo Romeo and Dutch Ambassador
Willem Wouter Plomp, as well as diplomats from the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia took part in the
tournament. This was the Ministrys 20th jubilee tournament
and to mark the occasion participants were presented with

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MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

token awards by the tournaments sponsorsAlkaloid AD

Skopje, Tikve Winery and Stone Bridge Hoteland trophies
were presented to the tournaments victors.

EXPERIENCE MACEDONIA

GARI THE PEARL OF THE MIJAK REGION

ari, a Mijak village in the Municipality of Debar, is situated deep

in the bosom of Mt. Stogovo at about 1,100 meters above sea level.
It is in a narrow valley being the result of a glacier lake on Stogovo.
The Garska reka river, which is a protected monument of nature,
passes through the village. During the Slavic tribes advances in the
Balkans, the Mijak tribe was one of the most bellicose. Legend has it
that due to their being more courageous, they populated Macedonias
least passable terrain along the Radika river, in the bosoms of Mts.
Stogovo, Bistra and Jama all the way to Malesija and Luma (Abania).
Fresh and clean air, temperatures much lower than those in the
cities, gurgling springs and some incredible vegetation is what this
region has to boast but only few actually enjoy. The Mijak region is
said to be one of Macedonias most beautiful. The unspoiled nature at
an altitude of 1,100 meters is the perfect place for rest but, as the locals
tend to say, only for those who know how to enjoy and love nature.
Gari lives in the summer. In winter, theres life in only two or three
houses. But in summer those whose roots are in this region return
home. Some of the houses are completely new or renovated in the
recognizable and original style of building characteristic of Ohird
and Kruevo. Almost every house is full and open to those having
decided to pay the village a visit.
There are many interesting stories about the village, about life
as it once was and about what Gari is today. Youll hear the story
about the carpet shop, in which 120 women worked, making the
best Persian carpets they later sold in Germany, the cooperative,
the parties and the music. Youll hear the story about the economic
migrants and Dimko angaj, who went the farthest of them all, as
far as China. Youll be told about the football matches on the pitch
on which, they say, there were proper goals at a time when in Skopje
they used stones to mark their goals. They love talking about their
brilliant team who beat the clubs from Melniani, Lazaropole and
the other nearby villages. They talk with pride about the electricity
they had at a time when the cities didnt have any, about the small
cinema in the 1950s and about the incredible water.
The village with its about 180 houses stuns visitors with its amazing
architecture, the springs of cold water and the interesting way it
sprawls on both the mountains. In the past this used to be a clustered
settlement, with houses being very close to one another. Today their
number is not as high but nobody sells their property. If they sell it,
their surname dies, and their family vanishes with it. If you sell your
house, even if you have successors to carry it on, the surname dies.
Everywhere around Gari, there are benches from which you can
enjoy the mesmerizing view, including at the site above the village

where there is a cross that is easy to reach and where youll always
find people relishing the spectacle. Locals say the cross was a gift
from one of their own. Tall Stone, an unusual rock that although
created by the elements seems as though carved by man, is a local
landmark that villagers have turned into a pleasant site for rest that
gets illuminated at night. With the sounds of the nearby spring,
the benches are the perfect spot to drink your morning coffee or to
enjoy at night the sounds of nature. Near Tall Stone are also the little
Garska Reka waterfalls.
Because of its exceptionally beautiful geographic location and the
way it is laid out, Gari is a rare romantic combination of the idyllic
and the natural. Most of its houses have two or three stories and
turned to the south in an amphitheater-like symmetrical way they
inspire awe with their massive stone structures. The gurgling water of
the river underneath only adds to the idyllic, romantic atmosphere.
The village is especially known for the iconostasis and the carving
in the church of the Ascension of the Holy Mother of God, made by
the team of carvers led by the renowned master of the chisel, Petre
Filipovski Garkata. On the upper floor of the church is the room
for brides and girls. Here, if you look up, you can spot an eye among
the icons. The eye is drawn inside a triangle and wherever you go it
follows you. Based on the historical records about Gari, it is believed
to be a masons eye. The locals, however, cant explain its significance.
Above the altar is also a sun with 16 rays. Villagers say it is the symbol
of the Mijak region and that in the past besides their own language
the local population also had a Mijak flag featuring a 16-pointed
sun. The church is also said to hold the remains of a saint, which are
believed to have helped many. Along the road from the Church of St.
Petka toward the peak of the mountain are the sheepfolds where the
delicious Gari cheese is made. Here you can also taste bread baked
under an iron lid called sa as well as sheeps milk.
The Ministry of Culture has developed an economic feasibility study
on Garis revitalization. The study envisages restoration of the houses
using the traditional materials and architecture and techniques of
the old masters. Investments have also been foreseen in new facilities
that would give rise to rural tourism. There has been a villa in the
village for two years now in which you can spend the night and eat
traditional food including a local trout. The local water is special and
that is the reason why Mali Loinj, a firm from Croatia, has recently
built a factory in Gari for bottling drinking water from the nearby
springs. The factory is located five kilometers outside the village, by
the regional Boskov Most-Izvor road.
Gari, the pearl of the Mijak region, can be reached by the road
leading to Debar, in western Macedonia. You take a turn left at the
Boskov Most site and 910km further away there emerges the village,
deserted in winter but swarming with people once the snow melts.
The first destination of all those going to Gari and Lazaropole is the
Elenski Skok (Deers Leap) Bridge built during the Ottoman rule. The
locals tell several interesting stories about the bridge. One of them
says its construction was ordered by a Turkish bey, who once while
hunting wounded a deer. Trying to escape, despite being injured, the
deer managed to jump over the Garska Reka river and then died. The
bey decided to build a bridge on that spot that would be a symbol of
the courage, honor and strength of those struggling until their last
breath. This bridge is at the site where Via Egnatia, the road that the
Romans built in the 2nd century BC, once passed.
No. 110 2016 MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN

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EXPERIENCE MACEDONIA

SKOPJE JAZZ FESTIVAL HELD FOR 35TH TIME

ith the performance of pianist

Bojan Zulfikarpai, also known
as Bojan Z, the 35th Skopje Jazz Festival
opened at the Macedonian National
Theater on 13 October and ran until
16 October. On the opening day, the
trio of the new guitar star Julian Lage
also staged a concert which was their
European premiere. The second day
audience saw Vinicius Cantuaria of
Brazil with his latest project and the
Polish Marcin Wasilewskis trio with
saxophonist Joakim Milder of Sweden.
The third day was booked for Made to Break, a quartet of the USA, with
saxophonist Ken Vandermarks latest project, and the Scandinavian
trio The Thing. The festival closed with the new project of trumpet
player Peter Evans and his trio Pulverize the Sound and Supersonic,

the band of the French saxophonist and vocalist Thomas de Pourquery.

The after-midnight program featured Joss Stone, one of the strongest
voices of the British music scene, and Goce Stevkovskis septet with
Dijan Emin.

AMBASSADOR ANDRIJANA CVETKOVIK

WINS THROUGH DIPLOMATS EYES PHOTO CONTEST GRAND PRIZE

he Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Japan, Andrijana

Cvetkovik, won the Grand Prize of the 19th photo contest
Scintillating JAPAN 2016, through Diplomats Eyes organized by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan under the auspices of her
Imperial Highness Princess Takamado. In this years competition, 500
photos by about a hundred diplomats from 150 countries competed
and Ambassador Cvetkoviks take on the Hijiribashi Bridge over the
Kanda River in Tokyo titled Circle of Life was selected as the best.
Ambassador Cvetkovik received the award from the former
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the son of one of Japans best-known
Prime Ministers, H.E. Hirofumi Nakasone. In her address at the
prize-presentation ceremony, she thanked the jury for the award and
elaborated the message that her photograph attempted to get across.

FIVE MACEDONIAN FILMS SHOWN AT TUZLA FILM FESTIVAL

t the fifth jubilee Tuzla Film Festival, which took place from
12 to 16 October, five Macedonian films were shown: Danilo
and Rade erbedijas The Liberation of Skopje in the feature film
category, Eleonora Veninovas short film Fighting for Death, Marina

Daceskas documentary Life with Challenges Ana Marijas Story

and the animated films Round Trip: Mary by arko Ivanov and
The Falling Girl by Vladimir Luka.

SKOPJE HOSTS 4TH GIFFONI MACEDONIA YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL

ifteen films (five in each of the three categories Junior, Cadet and
Senior) were shown at the 4th Giffoni Macedonia Youth Film
Festival, held in Skopje on 21 to 26 October with support from the
Film Agency of the Republic of Macedonia and Giffoni Experience
of the Italian Republic. The festival opened at Millennium Cinema

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MACEDONIAN DIPLOMATIC BULLETIN No. 110 2016

with the showing of Matteo Roveres Italian Race (Veloce come il

vento). Films from Italy, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Spain,
Brazil and Nepal, screened at some of the largest and best-known
international film festivals and youth film festivals, were shown at
this years Giffoni Macedonia.