Skopje, 21 February 2022 (MIA) – Language and culture are the backbone of the identity of a nation and a society. It is our duty to preserve and nourish our Macedonian language, Culture Minister Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska said Monday visiting a trilingual elementary school on International Mother Language Day. Language is cultural heritage that unites the spiritual and material culture of all civilization, according to her. “Macedonian language is the most unique characteristic of the Macedonian people. To neglect the Macedonian language is to neglect the aesthetic of Macedonian history, memory and present times,” Kostadinovska-Stojchevska told reporters. The Jashar Bej Shkupi trilingual school in Skopje, she said, is an excellent example of respect of the rights of minorities. Pupils at the school in the Chair municipality attend classes held in Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish. “The main link in integrated education is joint activities of pupils through which they learn more about themselves, learn more about the culture and language of others,” stated the Minister.