I S S U E

08 SEPTEMBER 2011

P . 1

8. September 1991, was a grand day for Macedonian citizens. Over 95.5% of the 75.8% turnout voters on

the Referendum voted for the Independence of the Republic Macedonia. After the first multiparty elections

in Macedonia, the first Government of the Republic of Macedonia was established in Skopje, with Nikola

Kljusev as the first President of the Government and Kiro Gligorov as the first President of the State. On 25

September 1991 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Macedonian Parliament. Further,

the new Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia was adopted on 17 November, 1991. 8. September

2011, 20 years later, thousands of people are gathered in the center of Skopje to celebrate the 20th

anniversary of independence. They have every reason to celebrate: Macedonia is independent. The path

to the independence and through the process of transition was not easy for Macedonia, but the

determination to become an independent state was the force that kept on pushing the Macedonian citizens

towards their goal. The president of the first parliament Stojan Andov, said, “Our parliament's

determination to avoid the trap - passing an act of independence - and the decision to transfer that task to

the people to decide through a referendum was crucial for our destiny”. Macedonia is the only country from

the former Yugoslavian countries that declared independence peacefully, without military intervention.

SLOVENIAN EMBASSY SKOPJE

MONTHLY e-NEWSLETTER

Macedonia, 08 September 2011

In this issue 20 years of Independence of the Republic of Macedonia P.1

10th Anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement P.2 Meeting with the Minister of Defence P.3

Meeting with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy P.3 Meeting with the Minister of Environment and Physical planning P.3

Meeting with Major General Gorančo Koteski P.4 Official visit of Major General Alojz Steiner to Macedonia P.4 Exhibition “Identity of Slovenia – Designing for the state” P.5

Ninth Business Day of the Slovenian economy - Ohrid P.6 Presentation of Fructal Mak P.7

Rebranding of Vardar Insurance into Triglav Insurance P.8 Memorandum on Cooperation signed in Tetovo and Kumanovo P.9

Ambassador Bergant Panellist at the conference e-Democracy P.10 Slovenian plays at the 36th International Theater Festival MOT P.11

Exhibition by the Slovenian artist Gabrijela Bauer Fužir P.11 Ciciban – a performance by the Children’s theater Centre P.11

Macedonian Basketball Team in Lithuania on EuroBasket 2011 P.12 Destinations: Ljubljana P.13

20 years of Independence of the Republic of Macedonia

One of the most important figures that played a tremendous role in the process

of leading Macedonia towards independence was the first Macedonian

president Kiro Gligorov. He served two terms and survived an assassination

attempt in 1995; nevertheless he remained as a president of Macedonia till

1999. Through this journey of 20 years as an independent country, Macedonia

has been through different political phases that mark her existence. Since 1993

the name dispute with Greece, in 1999 Macedonia fostered refugees from

Kosovo, 2001 was the year of an armed conflict between the ethnic Albanian

National Liberation Army (NLA) militant group and the security forces of the

Republic of Macedonia. In 2005 Macedonia becomes a candidate for European

Union (EU) accession.

This year, Macedonia celebrated its 20th anniversary of independent statehood in grand style, with

celebrations at the central square in Skopje attended by an estimated 150,000 people. Prime minister

Nikola Gruevski gave his speech at the celebration, passing the message of better future and sooner

solution to the name dispute, also pointing out the importance of the EU and NATO membership.

Macedonia Internal Affairs

++

P . 2

Since the signing of Framework Agreement, namely 10 years after the 2001 conflict, Macedonia has

become more stable, democratic country, gradually approaching the European Union and NATO, said the

participants at the national conference "Decentralization and Multiculturalism in Macedonia", dedicated to

the 10th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA). In order to prevent possible negative

experiences, the global political thought has promoted multiculturalism, which vows for coexistence of

various cultures and provides for free development of the creative potential, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski

said at the conference.

"Today, when we are marking the 20th anniversary of (Macedonia's) independence and OFA's 10th

anniversary, we should point out that the Republic of Macedonia has been accepting and developing the

multicultural society, which strengthens our independence as a state. In terms of developing the

multiculturalism, the country has been advancing faster than many other nations and that is our

contribution to the global cultural and political treasury. OFA has been maintaining a balance between

respecting the principles of equality, the citizen's central position and the promotion of cultural, political

rights of the ethnic communities," Gruevski said. He considers that the armed conflict, human victims were

not the right way for producing OFA, saying that there was no attempt for avoiding the country's

destabilization.

However, the OFA' implementation brings benefit, the PM said. The power decentralization process,

deriving from OFA, is yet another solid platform for meeting the needs of citizens and to that effect the

Government has been taking measures to increase the municipal competitiveness, he said.

Gruevski also underlined the need for the internally displaced persons to return to their homes in line with

OFA. Citizens of Macedonia share many values, which unite them on the road to prosperity, Gruevski said.

Today's event demonstrates the wide respect of OFA and celebrates the peace and victory of tolerance

over conflict, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said. "The history is abundant with examples of

how national intolerance turns into war. By OFA your country avoided a civil war. By reaching a

compromise, your leaders brought peace, enabling the country to develop and ultimately to become a

candidate for the EU, NATO membership and I extend my congratulation on that," Fule said. During this

process, Fule said, the European Commission has granted a support of EUR100 million for OFA projects.

While signing the agreement, the Macedonian side was represented by the VMRO-DPMNE and the

SDSM, while the Albanian side was represented by the DPA and the PDP. The most important role in the

negotiating process had the former Macedonian president Mr. Boris Trajkovski. Negotiating the peace

agreement was one of his highest achievements. The negotiations were organized by the senior

representatives of the international community and European Union (EU) such as Javier Solana and

George Robertson. Without them the signing of the agreement would nave been impossible.

Conference marking 10 years of the Ohrid Agreement Skopje, 05 September 2011

The Ohrid Peace Agreement put an end to

the internal conflict in Republic of Macedonia

in 2001, between the ethnic Albanian military

group and the Macedonian national forces.

The OPA meant putting an end to a hostile

situation, national crisis and regional

instability.

Macedonia Internal Affairs

P . 3

Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Defence Fatmir Besimi

Minister of Defense Fatmir Besimi held a meeting with the

Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia Alain Brian Bergant

at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Macedonia.

During the meeting Minister Besimi expressed his extended

gratitude for the immense support of Slovenia as well as his

satisfaction with the excellent bilateral defense

cooperation. In this context, Minister Besimi stressed out the

need of further intensified cooperation and finding future

projects of common interest especially in the field of

education, training and exchange of views on innovations in

Skopje, 19 September 2011

the defense system. At the same time he expressed satisfaction with the forthcoming visit of the Chief of

General Staff of the Slovenian Army and that this would be a good opportunity for creating additional

moments for cooperation between the two ministries and armies. Minister Besimi said that the immense

military cooperation will be confirmed by the bilateral military exercise on AP Krivolak - "Challenge 2011".

Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski

Skopje, 22 September 2011 At the first meeting between Ambassador Brian Bergant and the new Minister of Labour and Social Policy

Spiro Ristovski the wide and close cooperation between the Slovenian Embassy and the Slovenian

Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs with the Macedonian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

were discussed. Minister Ristovski briefed on the current and the new reforms, the introduction of new

information system for social transfers and his positive expectations from the European Commission

Progress Report 2011. Ambassador Bergant highlighted the deadlock that occurred in the process of

implementation of the signed Agreement on Interstate Adoptions and presented the Slovenian

amendments to the Agreement on Social Security. Macedonian experts were invited to negotiations to

Ljubljana so the new agreement could be signed by the end of this year.

Ambassador Bergant met with the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Abdilaqim Ademi

Skopje, 19 September 2011 Traditional good cooperation between the Slovenian Ministry of Environment

and Spatial Planning and Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Physical

Planning, bilateral development cooperation and technical assistance

projects in the field of ecology for the year 2011 and next period from 2012 till

2015 were discussed as the main topics at the first meeting with the new

Minister of Environment and Physical Planning. The meeting addressed the

so-far successful cooperation between Macedonia and Slovenia in the area

of environmental protection and advancement as well as future planned

activities. Minister Ademi said he was satisfied with the level of the

cooperation, emphasising that the building of purifying stations is still a

priority, especially in the Polog region, so that the protection of Vardar River

and Rasce Spring is completed. In the framework of regional cooperation and

Meetings

P . 4

Major General Gorančo Koteski expressed satisfaction that Slovenian Ambassador was the first

Ambassador who paid a working visit after he took over his new position as the Chief of General Staff of

the Macedonian Army and highlighted excellent cooperation between the two armies. He presented the

military and defence priorities, confirmed that the full membership of the country into NATO remains the

strategic goal of the government and thanked Slovenia for its traditional and strong support on

Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration path. Ambassador Bergant agreed that the common military exercise

of the Slovenian and Macedonian Army "Challenge 2011" at the military training ground Krivolak is just

another proof of good cooperation between the two friendly and partner countries. He praised as well the

role and participation of the Macedonian solders in the peacekeeping missions and expressed hope for a

swift solution to the name issue, so that Macedonia can become a full member of NATO as soon as

possible.

Official visit of the Slovenian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Major General Alojz Steiner

Major General Alojz Steiner, paid an official visit to the

Republic of Macedonia on 26 and 27 September.

Besides the host of the Macedonian Army Chief of

General Staff Major General Gorančo Koteski, Major

General Steiner had separate meetings with the

President of the Republic of Macedonia Dr. Gjorge

Ivanov and the Minister of Defence Fatmir Besimi. The

meeting between the Chief of General Staff of the

Slovenian Armed Forces and his Macedonian

counterpart focused on the bilateral military cooperation

Skopje/Krivolak, 26 - 27 September 2011

between the two armies, the Generals exchanged experiences in joining NATO, capacity building and

implementation of NATO standards, they talked about the transformation of the armed forces of the

Republic of Macedonia and the contribution of both armies to the international military operations and

missions.

Ambassador Bergant met with the Chef of General Staff of the Macedonian Army Major General Gorančo Koteski

Skopje, 23 September 2011

the Slovenian Presidency of the Alpine Convention Ambassador Bergant informed about the Expert

Meeting in October in Ljubljana and its main task to prepare the Second Dinaridic Conference and about

the project of formation the Spatial Information System and Environmental Monitoring. Minister Ademi

confirmed the participation of the Macedonian experts in both projects and assured the participation of the

Republic of Macedonia in the Low Carbon Strategies in the South Eastern Europe Countries. Special

attention was focused on the National Water Management Strategy, formation of the Water Card and

Groundwater Cadastre. Minister Ademi was convinced that Macedonia will receive a positive mark in the

European Commission Progress Report 2011 in the filed of Ecology and that it will be good as a whole.

Bilateral Cooperation

P . 5

On the second day of the visit Major General Šteiner and General Koteski observed the activities of

Slovenian and Macedonian troops engaged in the exercise Challenge 2010 which took place on the

training range Krivolak and shooting range Petrovac. Generals also observed the preparations of Pilatus

PC-9M aircraft for ground-target bombing, preparations of MI-24 helicopters for missile launching, as well

as preparations of combat operations and firing of air targets with Igla Man-Portable Air Defence Systems.

Amongst others, the force commander Brigadier Branimir Furlan, Ambassador Brian Bergant and military

attaché Colonel Bojan Končan, attended the military exercise.

Opening of the exhibition “Identity of Slovenia – Designing for the state” in Skopje Skopje, 29 September 2011

The opening of the exhibition »Identity of Slovenia – Designing for the state«

was held on 29 September at the gallery of the new commercial building of NLB

– Tutunska Banka in Skopje. The exhibition was a part of the Embassy’s events

marking the 20th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Slovenia.

Special guests at the opening ceremony were the Vice Governor of the Bank of

Slovenia Darko Bohnec and the Vice Governor of National Bank of Macedonia

Fadil Bajrami. The event was attended by representatives of the Macedonian

ministries and financial institutions, directors and representatives of Slovenian

companies in Macedonia, members of the Slovenian – Macedonian business

Club, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Skopje, Slovenes living in

Macedonia, among them members of the Association France Prešern and the

Slovenian center and other friends of Slovenia. The guests were welcomed by

the ambassador H.E Brian Bergant, Vice Governor of the Bank of Slovenia

Darko Bohnec and Chairman of the Management Board of NLB – Tutunska

Banka Gjorgi Jančevski.

The exhibits cover the range of designs elaborated for the young state and its

institutions by one of Slovenia’s top designers, Prešeren Award winner Miljenko

Licul. Over the course of his artistic career, Licul has created a number of great

works of visual culture that are closely related to the identity of the nation and

state and are, by all means, the most recognizable visual images of Slovenia’s

identity to be created over the 20-year history of Slovenia as a sovereign state.

The works Miljenko Licul designed for the state and its institutions have received

much international acclaim and attention from professional and lay audiences,

and are suitable to commemorate the anniversary as a dignified and innovative

presentation of the country, its creative power, and its modern approach.

Ambassador Brian Bergant at the occasion of the opening ceremony gave special

recognition awards in the name of the minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic

of Slovenia at the 20th anniversary of the independence Mr. Žbogar. The persons

who were awarded are the ones that after the collapse of the former common

state of Yugoslavia, contributed to the visibility and reputation of Slovenia in

Macedonia and the promotion of Slovenian culture and language.

Recognition award was given to the first president of the independent Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Kiro

Gligorov, the first Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in the Republic of Slovenia, prof. Dimitar

Mirčev, first Slovenian language professor at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje Bistrica Mirkulovska and

former university professor and one of the founders of the Slovenian Association of France Presern in

Skopje, Amalia Jovanović.

Miljenko Licul (1946-2009)

The work of Miljenko Licul in

graphic design is synonymous

with superior quality. He was

among the authors who

renewed the strictly modernist

graphic design style of the

1970s with a different, poetic

expression without neglecting

the content and historical

elements of their tasks. He

was a member of the

generation of designers who

successfully converted

analogue images into digital

form. With Miljenko Licul, the

Slovenian graphic design

strengthened its international

presence and reputation.

Culture

Economy

P . 6

Ninth Business day of the Slovenian economy The ninth Business day of the slovenian economy was held

on the 27 of September in Ohrid, organized by the

Slovenian-Macedonian Business Club. Business Day has

been traditionally divided into two parts, a business

conference and a presentation of some members of the

Business Club in the center of the city of Ohrid.

At the business conference the participants were

addressed by the Chairman of the Board of the Slovenian-

Macedonian Business Club, Damir Kuder, who stressed

the importance of such gatherings and briefly outlined the

importance of the business club. Mayor of the Municipality

of Ohrid Aleksandar Petreski presented the main

advantages of the municipality, highlighting the tourist

potential of the area and called for greater cooperation with

Slovenia and its economy.

Ohrid, 27 September 2011

Ambassador Brian Bergant Vice Governor Darko Bohnec

Chief of the cabinet of the former president Živko Kondev

Prof. Bistrica Mirkulovska

Prof. Dimitar Mirčev

Prof. Amalija Jovanović

Economy

P . 7

Ambassador Brian Bergant stressed in his speech the

importance of such business events, especially in times of

global economic and social crisis, when we should strive to

create a better atmosphere and mutual trust, which is a

preliminary condition for greater economic cooperation. He

also emphasized the openness of the Slovenian Embassy

in Skopje for help or advice in doing business in

Macedonia.

In the second part of the event the following companies

were presented in the center of Ohrid: Fructal, Akton

komunikaciji, Telesmart telekom, KB Prvo penzisko

drustvo, Trimo, Sava tabak osiguruvanje, Ilirika investicii,

NLB Nov penziski fond, Vesna SAP Probištip, Meteorit

Bitola, Ekonomska fakulteta Ljubljana, Skovin and Laško

komerc Vevčani. The presentation was very well attended

and the participants were satisfied with the success of this

event.

Fructal Mak – Fruit juice producers Fruktal is an innovative company with a recognizable image, which is in line with the mission of the

company and its brands. The core values of Fruktal are quality and a positive attitude towards the

environment.

The operating history of Fruktal Mak a.d. Skopje starts in year 2000 through the purchase of the estate

of Makedonija Tabak by Fruktal AD. The basic function of the company of Fruktal Mak a.d. Skopje is the

production of fruit juices, nectars, drinks and fruit syrups processed without preservatives while using the

best and juiciest fruits that ripen in the land of the sun – Macedonia, combined with the knowledge and

technology of the experts of Fruktal.

The factory of Fruktal Mak a.d. Skopje is located on the road towards Zelenikovo, 15 km out of Skopje, in

an ecologically clean environment. It stretches on a surface of 192.000 m2 of which a large area is

consisted of fruit plantations with peaches, apricots and apples. Today the factory counts 60 employees,

and since the year 2000 until now, the company has invested approximately 3,5 million euro into four new

lines of production for fruit juices. The factory manufactures fruit juices in carton packaging from 1 liter and

250 milliliters, as well as fruit syrups and fruit drinks in plastic bottles from 1,5 and 0,5 liters. The most

recent investment in equipment was made in year 2007, and this year the company has purchased the

land on which the factory is located.

Quality remains the core value of Fruktal. Quality

management is based on the systems ISO 9001 – certificate

for quality management which was renewed in September

2011 and HACCP – certificate for product security. The

system for environmental management ISO 14001 is under

procedure. Fruktal Mak internally controls every prepared

mixture of juice, and every series of production is controlled

by the Institute for Health Protection Skopje. The internal

microbiological norms acquired from the parent company are

in accordance with EU regulations and currently are even

stricter than the existing ones in the country.

“Fructal – In collaboration with nature”

Director Aleš Škraba

Presentation of Slovenian

Companies

The products of Fruktal are prepared exclusively from natural ingredients. All the products are in

compliance with the existing legal regulations in the country. During the production process of fruit juices

from the company plantations, apart from fruits Fruktal Mak uses domestic raw materials from Macedonia

through the purchase of all the produced quantity of industrial peach (around 1.000 tons per year) and

homegrown strawberries. Manufactured final products are intended for domestic and foreign markets

(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro). Fruktal Mak is also active in the field of

corporate social responsibility through the sponsoring of the Basketball club Fruktal Junior (the senior

team that plays in the second basketball division in R.M. and the youth selections) and a longstanding

partnership with the school for “minibasket” JUNIOR. All of the main activities of Fruktal towards the

targeted public are focused into building a positive attitude towards nature.

P . 8

The event, celebrating the rebranding of Vardar Insurance into Triglav Insurance was held on Wednesday,

28 September 2011 at the Hotel Aleksander Palace in Skopje. The rebranding was an immense step

forward for Triglav Insurance, communicating a firm message of the vision and mission of the Company

and of its strategy which is successful on all markets where Triglav Insurance Group is present. The event

was attended by the President of the Republic of Macedonia PhD Gjorge Ivanov, the Ambassador of the

Republic of Slovenia in the Republic of Macedonia Mr Brian Bergant, ambassadors and diplomatic

representatives, numerous politicians, media, employees and company representatives.

Following the presentation, Mr. Trajce Latinovski, the General Manager of Triglav Insurance, Mr. Matjaž

Rakovec, President of the Management Board of Zavarovalnica Triglav d.d. and Ambassador Brian

Bergant addressed the audience and presented the Company’s history, accomplishments, market

presence and the goals it strives towards. They stressed the importance of behaviour orientated towards

the Company vision and the potential benefits and results that can be derived from that continuing

throughout the cooperation between both countries. Slovenian Ambassador stated that he is proud of

Triglav as a company that counts over 5.000 employees and is one of the largest insurance companies on

the territories of Western Balkans.

As one of the leading insurance-financial groups in South East Europe, Triglav Insurance is present on

eight markets in the region, representing the brand identity through its integrity, transparency, accessibility

and its excellent quality of services. In addition to its existing services offering, the Company will introduce

new products in line with European standards, whilst taking the specific needs and requirements of the

Macedonian market into account. Triglav Group is dedicated towards creating a safer future for its clients,

employees, business partners and shareholders.

As socially responsible company Triglav Insurance donated 1.110.075 Macedonian Denars to the

municipalities of Aerodrom (Skopje), Bitola and Tetovo, to improve the conditions for children in

kindergartens.

Rebranding of Vardar Insurance into Triglav Insurance Skopje, 28 September 2011

Economy

Memorandum on Cooperation to address psychosocial wellbeing challenges signed with municipalities of Kumanovo and Tetovo Skopje, 19-20 September 2011

A Memorandum on Cooperation (MOC) between the

Slovenian Foundation “TOGETHER” – Regional Centre

for Psychosocial Well-being of Children and Macedonian

Psychosocial and Pedagogical Education and Support

Association “REZJA” to address psychosocial wellbeing

challenges was signed with the Municipality of

Kumanovo and Municipality of Tetovo.

The purpose of this Memorandum on Cooperation is to provide a constructive framework for the parties to

develop collaborative activities and initiatives. The potential areas of collaboration are the following:

assistance of the municipality in providing REZJA with appropriate premises in which they will ensure

psychological assistance to the local community; sharing of best practices, curricula and research in the

field of psychosocial well-being; joint projects and initiatives to increase public understanding of challenges

related to psychosocial well-being of local community; work on public issues of mutual concern; pursue of

joint funding which is needed to support the goals of this collaboration and assistance of Rezja in

strengthening psychosocial programs at the municipality level.

From the Slovenian side Acting Executive Director of the Foundation Together – Regional Centre for

Psychosocial Well-being of Children Rok Avbar and Ambassador Brian Bergant signed the Memorandum

on Cooperation. The Foundation “TOGETHER”- Regional Centre for the Psychosocial Well-being of

Children has been initiated as an idea to protect and improve the psychosocial well-being of children in

areas which have been affected by armed conflict, war, terrorist attack, natural disaster or technical

accidents, and by its unfavourable social consequences they bring. The Foundation "TOGETHER" realizes

its mission, which includes ensuring a better future for children and contributes to peace and stability, by

activating Slovene and international professional and material resources. It was founded in February 2002

by The Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Nongovernmental organization Slovene Philanthropy and

City of Ljubljana. The mission of the Foundation is to activate Slovene and international help resources in

the countries of the region and on the wider scale to ensure a better future for children and contribute to

the peace and stability in the region and wider, through activities intended for the well-being of children.

The programs that are being performed are becoming a recognisable and a sought after form of

development assistance. The Foundation "TOGETHER" is active in the regions of South-Eastern Europe,

Iraq, and North Caucasus.

P . 9

Ambassador Brian Bergant was a guest in the morning program “Žurnal” on the Sitel Television. The

ambassador talked about the current Embassy's activities, Macedonia’s progress and the political,

economic, cultural and other cooperation between Slovenia and Macedonia. In the second part of the show

he commented the reporting of the daily newspapers as well as the excellent success result Macedonian

basketball team achieved with the forth place at the recent European Basketball Championship in

Lithuania.

Ambassador Brian Bergant guest in the morning program on Sitel Television Skopje, 27 September 2011

Interviews

Bilateral Cooperation

Ambassador Bergant panelist at the Conference on e-Democracy in Ohrid

Skopje, 26-27 September 2011

International conference on e-democracy entitled "Information and communication technology - the bearer

of democracy and transparency", organized by the Centre for eGovernance Development in South Eastern

Europe in Ljubljana and the Macedonian IT enterprise Nextsense was held in Ohrid on 26 and 27

September. With the same enthusiasm and even greater expectations the conference for the second time

gathered the parliaments, governments, official media, academy, ICT industry leaders and civil society

renewing the region’s ICT Strategies in the context of organizational democracy, transparency,

accessibility and accountability. This year one step further into promoting e-democracy values and also

including representatives of the local municipalities in the dialog on the role that ICT can play in improving

democracy. Ambassador Brian Bergant attended the conference as panelist on the second day.

One of the main topics of the conference was the impact of information technology to strengthen

democracy and transparency in public institutions. The aim of the conference was the discussion on the

different policies, practices, strategies of e-democracy, and the impact of information and communication

technologies to improve democracy and democratic processes. Special attention was given to future

technological innovations in e-democracy, with a focus on regional cooperation.

The conference was opened by Minister of Information Society and Public Administration of the Republic of

Macedonia Ivo Ivanovski, who said that despite the economic crisis in Macedonia during the last three

years there was a great progress in the implementation of information and communication

technologies. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia invested heavily in developing the

information society, but still not enough. As one of the latest innovations in this area, the Minister Ivanovski

mentioned the introduction of the possibility that citizens can evaluate the performance of public

administration, which currently operates in five state institutions, but this possibility will soon spread to all

institutions that have direct contact with the citizens. These activities will largely contribute to facilitating the

assessment of individual civil servant. In the near future, the Macedonian citizens will have the opportunity

to assess the functioning of public administration via their mobile phones and online.

The director of the Centre for Development of e-

governance in SEE Blaz Golob said that Macedonia

in the development of e-democracy achieved great

success and that the system introduces an effective

solution, which was the main reason why they

decided to organize a conference for the second

time in Ohrid. Golob went on saying that e-

democracy facilitates easier communication

between the governments, parliaments and the

citizens and that one of today’s major problems is

the disconnection between political elites and

citizens. Information Technology is only one

segment in the development of the e-democracy.

Ambassador Bergant presented a program of international development cooperation, which is among the

priorities of Slovenian foreign policy and stressed that it is an important tool in the development of political

and economic ties with developed and emerging countries.

More information about the conference available at: www.edemocracy.mk

P . 1 0

eDemocracy

Crime and punishment and Nizinski’s Last Dance on the 36th International theater festival MOT

The Slovenian Youth Theater was among the guests that performed on the 36th International theater

festival MOT with two well known plays, “Crime and Punishment” and “Nijinsky’s Last Dance”.

“Crime and Punishment” is a play that has been performed in several theatre festivals in Europe, among

them: “Mitelfest” in Italy, Xispano – American theatre festival in Bogota, City theatre in Budva. Director of

this play is Diego de Brea, who works on different styles, musicals, classical and contemporary plays. The

other Slovenian performance was the show “Nijinsky’s Last Dance” directed by Marko Mlačnik. For the

leading role the actor Primož Bezjak received the prestigious award “Oton Zupančič” in Ljubljana, for

special achievements in culture. The performance was dedicated on the famous Russian virtuous, who

was a ballet dancer and choreographer with Polish roots, Vaclav Nizinsky.

Exhibition of the Slovenian artist Gabrijela Bauer Fužir at the City Museum of Skopje

The exhibition of the young talented Slovenian fashion designer and professor at the Faculty of Mechanical

Engineering in Maribor, Gabrijela Bauer Fužir was opened at the gallery of the City Museum in Skopje on

21 September. The exhibition was entitled “Life Circle Save”. Its nine works of art represent nine months of

developing a new life, destruction and recovery. This is not the first time for Gabrijela Bauer Fužir to

present her work in Macedonia. In March this year she had her exhibition entitled “Body Wisdom – Rites of

Passage”. She comes back, again and again, mainly because of the sun symbol, which, with its

modifications and its incidence of primary visual and thematic element is there in all her peaces

representing nature and life. She decided to exhibit in Macedonia because of the sun as a symbol of life,

and country’s national symbol.

The exhibition was opened by Ambassador Brian Bergant. In his welcome address he expressed his

satisfaction that on the 20th anniversary of Slovenia’s and Macedonia’s independence, both countries

show their good relations and cooperation in culture. After the opening, the Embassy organized a small

reception.

Skopje, 21 September 2011

Ciciban – a performance by the Children’s theater Center

P . 1 1

Culture

Ciciban, one of the most famous adapted musical shows, based on the poems by Oton Župančič, directed

by Primož Bebler and with original music by Mirko Vuksanovič, was preformed on 17 September on the

stage of the Children’s Theatre Centre in the Old Bazaar in Skopje. Oton Župančič’s opus is marked with

other plays such as “Night of the faithful souls”, “Veronica from Denesica” and many other, but Ciciban is

especially interesting for the young audience because of its specific story. This project happened with the

support from the Slovenian embassy in Skopje and the Children’s theater Center from Skopje. The play

was directed by Primož Bebler, recognized Slovenian director that was manager of the Slovenian theater

in Trieste, Italy. The play was performed in Albanian language with subtitles in Macedonian language. The

story is about a little hero named Ciciban. He is a curious, naughty and very honest boy, who is trying to

discover the world in very different ways, enjoying the nature, its colors, rhythm, sounds of animals, blue

sky. Through this different approach of discovering the world, the nature, the colors, Zupančič inspires us

to wake up the creativity of every child. Through this play, the children are offered with the true values in

life and the beauty of being in touch with the nature.

Skopje, 17 September 2011

Macedonian Basketball Team at the EuroBasket 2011 Macedonia saw their magical run at the EuroBasket come to an end when Damjan Stojanovski missed a

potential game-tying lay-up in the last seconds of the bronze-medal game against Russia. Though the

Russians won 72-68, there was only euphoria for the Macedonian squad after they flew back to the capital

Skopje. There is no doubting the love and admiration the fans and national team have for each other

because the players repeatedly talked about their supporters while in Lithuania. Therefore, it was no

surprise that more than 5,000 people met the Macedonian team at the airport. The players took an open

top bus ride from Skopje Airport into the city where more than 100,000 cheered in the city square.

The country's leader, President Gjorge Ivanov, handed the Medal od Merits for Macedonia to the national

basketball team after coming out fourth at the European Championships in Lithuania. The recognition is

presented for promoting Macedonia in the world and for outstanding contribution to the development and

popularization of the sport in the country.

The members of the basketball team said their achievement and triumph was a triumph of all Macedonian

citizens that has enabled our country to be promoted worldwide. Macedonia recorded the second straight

win at the EuroBasket Qualifying Round when they held off Slovenia to improve at 4-0 record on top of

Group F. After the game, Slovenian Head Coach Bozidar Maljković said that Macedonia plays very smart

basketball and has two great players in Vlado Ilievski and Bo McCalebb.

This year the Slovenian company working in Macedonia, the mobile operator ONE was the main sponsor

of the Macedonian Basketball team.

The European Basketball Championship of 2013, commonly known as Eurobasket 2013, will be the 38th

edition of the championship organised by FIBA Europe. It will take place from 4 September till 22

September 2013 in Slovenia. The number of participating teams will be 24. Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Slovenia brought forward a potential

candidature for the EuroBasket. Countries who were interested in submitting a formal candidature had to

do so by 31 August 2010. On 5 September 2010, it was announced that only two countries with formal bid

made were Slovenia and Italy. On 15 October 2010, Italy announced its withdrawal from the run.

The Basketball Federation of Slovenia (BFS) thus remained the only candidate organisator. The decision

on the candidacy was officially reported after FIBA Europe's meeting in Munich on 5 December 2010. In

March 2011, the BFS appointed the economist Aleš Križnar as the director of the event.

P . 1 2

Sport

Ljubljana – The capital of Slovenia Ljubljana is the political and cultural heart of the Slovenian nation. It is an important European commercial,

business, exhibition and congressional centre as well as the transport, science and education centre of

Slovenia.

A people-friendly city

As its inhabitants and numerous visitors will tell you, Ljubljana is, indeed, a people-friendly city.

Categorised as a medium-sized European city, it offers everything a metropolis does yet preserves its

small-town friendliness. Its geographical position in the centre of Europe has determined Ljubljana as a

natural meeting place for merchants and soldiers as well as - and more than once - peacemakers. The

victors of the Napoleonic wars selected this peaceful city as the site of the Holy Alliance congress, which in

1821 sealed the European political geography for years to come.

The old meets the new

In Ljubljana the old meets the new; and it seems that

history has spent all of the settlement's five millennia

preparing it to become the nation's capital. It has

managed to retain traces from all periods of its rich

history; from the legacy of Roman Emona; through

to the Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau

periods characterised in the house fronts and ornate

doorways of the city centre, the romantic bridges

adorning the Ljubljanica river, the lopsided rooftops

and a park reaching deep into the city centre. Here

eastern and western cultures met; and the Italian

concept of art combined with the sculptural

aesthetics of Central European cathedrals.

The city owes its present appearance partly to Italian baroque and partly to Art Nouveau, which is the style

of the numerous buildings erected immediately after the earthquake of 1895. In the first half of the 20th

century, modern Ljubljana was shaped by the strong personal style of Jože Plečnik, a great European

architect and a local of Ljubljana. The cityscape was complemented by his modernist followers as well as

by creations of the "New Wave" of acknowledged young architects. All the different facets of Ljubljana

blend harmoniously into a single image.

A city of culture

Ljubljana is a city of culture. It is home to numerous theatres, museums and galleries, and boasts one of

the oldest philharmonic orchestras in the world. The first music society in Slovenia, the Academia

philharmonicorum, was founded in 1701. It was a vehicle for baroque music and also facilitated the

development of musical production in this region. Its honorary members included such renowned

composers as Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, and distinguished musicians

such as the violinist Nicolo Paganini. Between 1881 and 1882, at the very start of his career, Gustav

Mahler was its resident conductor. For the people of Ljubljana culture is a way of living and thinking and is

very much a part of everyday life. Over 10,000 cultural events take place in the city every year, among

which there are 10 international festivals. www.culture.si

P . 1 3

Tourism

The inhabitants of Ljubljana and its visitors can admire artists from all the different fields - from music,

theatre and fine arts to the alternative and avant-garde. In warmer months, the tables and chairs of the

numerous cafés fill the banks of the Ljubljanica and the old city markets. It is here, after an almost

obligatory Saturday visit to the Ljubljana market or the Sunday flea market, that the locals meet for a

morning coffee or for an evening chat with friends.

A modern and lively city

The first impression a visitor gets of Ljubljana is that it is an exceptionally young city. It is home to over

50,000 students, who give it a special vibe. As four Slovene regions meet in Ljubljana, the city's numerous

restaurants and inns offer a wide range of local delicacies, not to mention superb wines. Ljubljana did not

earn the label of "the city of wine and vine" for nothing. In the past it was the wine-trading centre of the

region and grapevines were planted on the slopes leading up to the present-day castle by the inhabitants

of the Roman settlement of Emona. Today scientists are drawn to the city because of its high-calibre

institutes and university, as are artists due to its world-famous graphic biennial, art academy and countless

art galleries. International businessmen, economists and experts from all fields frequently attend the city's

many business and congressional meetings, exhibitions and trade fairs.

In short: Ljubljana is a city that people often return to, be it because of work or because of pleasant

memories of previous visits. It is similar to a number of other pleasant European cities - yet it is different -

and if you want to be fully assured that Ljubljana is an interesting, pretty and friendly place then just ask

the locals - they love it. And with a name that, according to one theory, means beloved, how could they do

otherwise?

Dragon, the Symbol of Ljubljana

A long time ago, the Greek hero Jason and his companions from the ship Argo, stole the Golden Fleece

from the Colchian king. In an effort to escape its pursuers the ship took a wrong turn and, instead of sailing

south on the Aegean Sea, it found its way to the mouth of the Danube river. As there was no way back for

them, they continued on up the Danube, the Sava and eventually the Ljubljanica. At the source of the

Ljubljanica they stopped, took the ship apart, put the pieces on their shoulders and thus carried the ship to

the Adriatic sea, where they put it back together and continued their way back home. Between the present-

day Vrhnika and Ljubljana the Argonauts found a big lake surrounded by a marsh. It was here that Jason

came across a terrible marsh monster, which he fought and eventually slew. This monster was the

Ljubljana dragon, which today has its permanent abode on top of the castle tower in the Ljubljana coat of

arms.

Ljubljana in short

Ljubljana is certainly a city with a high quality of life. It is a city of greenery, its very centre occupied by

parks and forests, and it also represents an ideal departure point for the discovery of all the variety

Slovenia has to offer. The unique Karst region, the Adriatic coast, the mountains, the hilly wine-growing

regions, the spas, and many historic towns are all within a two-hour drive. www.ljubljana.si

P . 1 4

Embassy of the

Republic of Slovenia Vodnjanska No. 42 1000 Skopje Republic of Macedonia vsk@gov.si www.skopje.embassy.si Follow us on Facebook: Slovenian Embassy Skopje

T: (+) 389 2 310 30 41/55 F: (+) 389 2 317 66 31

Skopje, September 2011

The monthly e-newsletter Bridges is produced by the Embassy of Slovenia in Skopje and is available on http://skopje.veleposlanistvo.si. You are most welcome to send us your comments or request for a subscription on: vsk@gov.si. Editor: Mario Stanković Co-Editor: Andreja Iljaž

Upcoming Events

• 11 October - The Embassy will be closed due to National Holiday in Macedonia

• 31 October - The Embassy will be closed due to National Holiday in Slovenia

• From 10 November - Cine Days – Week of Slovenian Contemporary Film

• 4 December – Snap parliamentary election. Polling station will be opened at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia from 09:00 to 17:00 hours