Skopje, 2 May 2023 (MIA) — The government at its Tuesday session reviewed and agreed on a proposed bill amending the Law on State Awards to introduce two new state awards named after renowned linguists.

According to an official press release, at the initiative of the Macedonian Language Council, the Ministry of Culture submitted a proposal to establish a new state award named after the celebrated poet, literary and cultural historian, fiction writer, translator, language scholar and founder of the contemporary Macedonian literary language, Blazhe Koneski.

The Blazhe Koneski state award would be given for high professional and scholarly achievements in the field of the Macedonian language in the country and abroad.

At the initiative of the Institute for the Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians, the Ministry of Culture also submitted a proposal to establish a state award named after Ramzi Nesimi, a linguist who was posthumously decorated in 2021 with the Order of Merit for the Republic of North Macedonia for his scholarly work that helped shape the standard Albanian language.

The Ramzi Nesimi state award would recognize high professional and scholarly achievements in the field of the Albanian language and Albanian studies in the country. mr/