Skopje, 20 July 2023 (MIA) - The independence of the country, democracy and multi-ethnic coexistence are the three greatest Macedonian achievements, and the diaspora has a significant impact in each of them. The biggest investment that expats bring here are the Euro-Atlantic democratic values and working principles, the culture of respect for the law and the entrepreneurial spirit, President Stevo Pendarovski said addressing the first Macedonia Symposium and Experience organised by the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) on Thursday in Skopje.

“Only with the assistance of the diaspora and with the joint efforts of all Macedonians in the world, we will be able to achieve the goal and build a country that we can proudly call our common home,” Pendarovski said.

According to Pendarovski, Macedonian expatriates were never passive observers of the processes, but active participants, and it is especially important that their interest is not reduced to some kind of passive nostalgia, but is an example of active engagement and the will to be involved in the modern processes in the homeland.

“The diaspora lobbied for the recognition of the independence of the Macedonian state, for the establishment of diplomatic relations with many countries in the world and for the intensification of bilateral relations between their first and second homeland,” he added.

According to him, in order for the three greatest achievements of the Macedonian state to continue to exist and be a platform for further development and prosperity of the present and future generations, three conditions are necessary: geopolitical security, rule of law and dynamic economic growth and development.

“The first condition is geopolitical security, which is guaranteed by NATO membership. The war in Ukraine showed how important it is to be on the right side of history. However, in order to complete the integration in that geopolitical and geo-economic environment, we also need membership in the EU. The second condition is the rule of law. To achieve this goal, we must invest far more energy in the fight against nepotism, corruption and organized crime, partisanship and ethnicization of politics and institutions. The third condition is a dynamic economic growth and development. We must build an economy based on new technologies and invest in the development of innovative ecosystems,” Pendarovski underlined.

He said that the diaspora should continue to lobby for the completion of our European integration, to bring in good business practices, to co-finance development and social responsibility projects.

“Geopolitical security, legal certainty and economic sustainability is the biggest guarantee that we will achieve much greater economic development, higher trust in institutions and, what is especially important, drastically less emigration of young people,” Pendarovski said.

In connection with multi-ethnic coexistence and the centuries-old tradition of respect for diversity, President Pendarovski noted that they are our greatest value and a prerequisite for internal stability and prosperity.

UMD Macedonia Symposium and Experience is a global gathering platform for sharing professional knowledge, connecting Macedonian organizations, and inspiring change in Macedonia. Having some of the greatest minds in business, politics, history, science, and technology as our speakers, we shape our future, moving forward in parallel with the world’s leading countries. Policymakers, companies operating in the region, members of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, and academia and civil society members are attending the Symposium.

Photo: MIA