President Stevo Pendarovski received today the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of North Macedonia, Angela Price Aggeler.
Below are the integral addresses of President Pendarovski and Ambassador Aggeler delivered during the ceremony of handing over the Letters of Credence.
Integral text of the address of President Stevo Pendarovski
Your Excellency,
I am extremely pleased and honored to receive the Letters of Credence from His Excellency, the honorable Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, by which you have been appointed as the new Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of North Macedonia.
At the outset, let me warmly greet you and wish you a sincere welcome to our country and much success in the performance of your responsible office.
The fact that this is not your first diplomatic stay in Skopje and that you are an excellent connoisseur of the situation in our country is a significant presumption to the further enrichment of our bilateral relations.
Rest assured that, in the performance of your diplomatic duties, you shall enjoy my support and the support of my team.
Distinguished Madam Ambassador,
Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to stress that the Republic of North Macedonia continuously pays special attention to the development of friendly relations and bilateral cooperation with the United States of America, which we consider our great friend, an important economic partner and a sincere supporter in the most difficult moments, ever since our independence.
The constant improvement of our relations is indeed a foreign political axiom, which is priority of all relevant political factors in North Macedonia. I am particularly pleased by the fact that in the past period we have been building and improving the bilateral relations between our countries as allies in the NATO Alliance, sharing the common values of democracy, freedom and human rights, as well as the commitments to an international order based on rules.
In the context of the latest geopolitical challenges and the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, let me say that our strong friendship gains even more importance and is a guarantee for the stability and prosperity of my country and the Western Balkans region as a whole.
Your Excellency,
In the past few years, the political dialogue between the two countries has been constantly intensifying and taking place on several levels. We are especially pleased with the fact that this year we started the Strategic Dialogue, as the first country from the Western Balkans. We see this Dialogue as a framework for concretizing our cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. We are ready for a comprehensive raising of the level of relations and even greater coordination and cooperation in economy, defense, security, investments, education, culture, science and environment.
I would like to emphasize that a special quality in our relations all these years has been given by the numerous Macedonian Diaspora in your country, which, besides being a bridge of friendship between our peoples, is a serious potential for development of economic ties.
Distinguished Madam Ambassador,
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the ongoing support of the United States of America for starting the accession negotiations of North Macedonia for membership in the European Union. Such support is a significant encouragement for continuation and intensification of the reform process and for further democratization of our society.
It is my strong belief that precisely the reforms in key areas, such as the rule of law and the fight against high corruption, nurturing the culture of responsibility, transparency and functionality of the institutions, should determine the further development of the Macedonian democracy and the ultimate membership in the European Union.
On that road, the anachronistic topics and discussions about identities and imposed historical truths are a serious obstacle that has potential to stall our integrative path and thus keep the whole region in limbo, which, in turn, generates instability and unpredictability. The dialogue started within the framework of the Summit for Democracy, under the leadership of President Biden, is indeed the best indicator of what goals democratic states should strive for in their mutual relations.
Starting from this conclusion, I am confident that the support from Washington will continue in the period ahead, with the expectation of an even stronger involvement of the United States of America, as a guarantor of peace, stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans, in view of the visible consequences on the Continent of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
Your Excellency,
I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to convey the assurances of my highest consideration to His Excellency, the President of the United States of America, the honorable Joseph Biden, and my wishes for his good health and success in carrying out his extremely important role in preserving the peace and security in the world.
At the end, once again, I wish you a pleasant stay in the friendly Republic of North Macedonia, much success in the performance of your responsible diplomatic mission, as well as good health and prosperity for You and Your closest ones.
Thank you.
Integral text of the address of Ambassador Angela Price Aggeler
President Pendarovski,
Thank you for your warm welcome to Villa Vodno today. It is a great honor to offer to you my letter of credence from President Biden. I am proud to represent the President and the American people as Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of North Macedonia. As I think you know Mr. President, I had the great privilege of serving here previously, in this beautiful country whose culture, people, languages, and history I came to love.
In the time since I was here last, North Macedonia faced great challenges and made difficult decisions, decisions that have moved this country forward on its path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. This country changed its name to become the 30th member of the NATO Alliance – our newest ally. It has opened negotiations on accession to the European Union, solidifying its position as a leader in building security and prosperity of the Western Balkans. Your upcoming OSCE chairmanship in 2023 demonstrates the crucial role you play in Europe’s future.
The future is indeed bright, even as this country faces old and new challenges. Mr. President, I am here today to promise that you will not face those challenges alone. The United States, the U.S. Embassy, and I will do everything in our power to help the people of North Macedonia succeed in meeting and overcoming all of those challenges. I give you my personal vow that we will stand with the people of this country – shoulder to shoulder as this country reaches its goals of peace, prosperity, security and independence for all its citizens.
Europe is facing its greatest threat in generations and as a trusted, active NATO ally, North Macedonia is contributing to Europe’s security and stability. For more than 30 years we have worked together to assure North Macedonia’s rightful place in the larger European community by upholding the core values of a thriving democracy—respect for rule of law; equal opportunity for justice, economic growth, and personal expression; and commitment to achieving those goals openly and transparently.
North Macedonia faces challenges to the foundations of all these pillars. As you continue to make progress, the United States will be here as a partner, ally, and friend in a relationship that will get stronger, deeper, and more productive.
Mr. President, I am honored to present my letter of credence today. I am eager to get to work and am so grateful for your gracious welcome, and your support to me.
Thank you.
