North Macedonia’s delegation visiting Italy and the Vatican on the occasion of 24 May (Ss Cyril and Methodius Day), headed by President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, on Friday, attended a moleben at the tomb of St Cyril at the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome.
The event was also attended by, among others, Culture and Tourism Minister Zoran Ljutkov and the Director of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups, Olivera Trajkovska.
The following day, in the Vatican, the President laid a wreath of flowers in front of the plaque honouring Ss Cyril and Methodius at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The wreath read “President of the Republic of N. Macedonia”.
The delegation headed by the President also visited the tomb of Pope Francis. On social media, President Siljanovska Davkova stated that 24 May was a reminder of the lasting value of the holy brothers’ missions. In addition, North Macedonia’s delegation attended a concert of pianist Simon Trpceski in Rome.
“I say again that in addition to traditional diplomacy, cultural diplomacy is our most powerful weapon”, she stated.
In Ohrid, on Saturday, PM Hristijan Mickoski, delivered an address at an event where there was also, for the first time, an exclusive exhibition of manuscripts from the National Library. Also, in his message on social media, Mickoski stated that the holy brothers had even while they had been alive promoted the vision that the strength of a people and country was in education, science, and its literacy.
“Thanks to their spirituality, dedication, today, too, we can develop our own culture, education, and science in the mother tongue”, he stated.
SDSM leader Venko Filipce said in his message that the work of Ss Cyril and Methodius was rooted in the country’s national and cultural history.