Skopje, 5 November 2025 (MIA) — Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov, who chairs the Macedonian National Commission for UNESCO, is taking part in the 43rd session of UNESCO's General Conference being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, through Nov. 13.

"In his address, Minister Ljutkov stressed the Republic of Macedonia's commitment to promoting its cooperation with UNESCO and actively participating in the implementation of initiatives that unite education, science, culture and innovation toward sustainable development," the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a press release.

"Our country holds special respect for UNESCO, an organization that has justified its existence through its actions promoting universal values ​​and development goals of common interest," Ljutkov is quoted as saying in the release.

"We are proud of our contribution to promoting and implementing the organization's activities at the national, regional and international levels," he said.

He said the Macedonian government paid particular attention to the protection of cultural and natural heritage, dealing with climate change and the development of new technologies, digitization and artificial intelligence.

Ljutkov also recalled a UNESCO report on the national education system, which he said confirmed the country was making progress toward providing equal access to education as well as an inclusive and safe school environment.

In the domain of culture, Ljutkov highlighted local events organized as part of the national festivals Ohrid Summer, Struga Poetry Evenings and May Opera Evenings to mark the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

According to Ljutkov, the government is especially focused on protecting the Ohrid Region's cultural and natural heritage inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List over four decades ago. “As a country, we are rising to this challenge of preserving its exceptional universal value and justifying the trust placed in us,” he told the conference.

He also noted that traditional bagpipe making and playing was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and added that Macedonian experts were already working on new nominations.

"The minister expressed his gratitude to the Venice-based UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe for its continued support and recalled that Macedonia chairs the Council of Ministers of Culture of South-East Europe this year, under the initiative Enhancing Culture for Development," the release said.

At the end of his speech, Ljutkov thanked current UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay for her visionary leadership and congratulated the newly elected UNESCO Director-General, Khaled El-Enani, wishing him well in his new post.

"Our vision is clear — Macedonia needs to be a country in which culture, education, science and innovation create a strong synergy for sustainable development and social prosperity," the culture and tourism minister said. mr/