President Stevo Pendarovski visited the State University in Tetovo today and gave a lecture to the students and teaching staff.
Speaking about the Macedonian state, which has been multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious since its creation, President Pendarovski pointed out that two aspects on which the state is based are important for the country, i.e. inter-ethnic relations must be stable and there must be productive inter-ethnic cohabitation. Otherwise, President Pendarovski added, if there is a predominance of one over the other, there will be tensions and problems. The second aspect is that Macedonia must be part of Euro-Atlantic integration.
“We are going to the West because Western Europe and America have the richest societies, the best democracies, the best universities, the best health systems, the most independent justice systems and free media. There is not a single example in the history of mankind, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, that a country is economically prosperous and is not a democracy”, President Pendarovski stressed.
President Pendarovski explained that only through compromise can we maintain stable inter-ethnic relations and fully integrate into the main institutions of the West. In this direction, President Pendarovski pointed out several documents that are the result of a compromise, which were crucial for the stabilization and development of the state. The first compromise, he pointed out, is the Ohrid Framework Agreement, and the second, the Prespa Agreement, which enabled the country to enter NATO and was supposed to secure us membership in the European Union. But the entry into the EU, President Pendarovski stressed, is stalled due to illogical demands from neighboring Bulgaria.
“You cannot explain to the Macedonian nationalists that if six or seven nations that are already in the Constitution did not dissolve the state, 12 will not dissolve the state either. However, it is a matter for which I will advocate. Why is it so important to enter the EU? We must be in the European Union, first of all, to learn how to organize the state and society and in a few years it will be the same level as today’s developed democracies. In order to get there, we have to make this compromise”, President Pendarovski said.
In his lecture to the students, President Pendarovski also referred to, in his opinion, the biggest problem in the country, i.e. the language of nationalism, which he said threatens the foundations of the state.
“If there is nationalism, there is no good democracy, if there is nationalism, certainly there is no good inter-national relations and if there is nationalism, there is no compromise at all. Still, we have to make compromises in order to be part of the developed democratic world. There are few people left in Macedonia and if we do not respect each other with all our ethnic, linguistic and other specifics, there will be no happiness for any of us”, President Pendarovski said.
The students’ interest was mainly focused on the reasons why their peers are moving out of the country en masse, and they also asked the President for his opinion on how to contribute to building a better, common society. In this direction, the President called on young people to be active and vocal, to organize and protest every mistake of politicians. Asked about the high level of corruption in the country, President Pendarovski said that corruption cannot be eradicated or at least reduced to a minimum, if there are no sanctions and punishments.
At the State University in Tetovo, President Pendarovski also had a meeting with the Rector Yusuf Zejnelji and the President of the Senate, Vulnet Ameti, where he was informed about the functioning, current activities, past successes and future plans of this educational institution. At the same time, within the framework of the visit to the University, President Pendarovski also visited the Laboratory for Examination and Control of Construction Materials. The President discussed with the professors and students their activities in the direction of quality control of construction materials.
