Kiro Gligorov

Kiro Gligorov (Киро Глигоров in Macedonian, also known as Kiril Blagoev Gligorov/Кирил Благоев Глигоров; May 3, 1917 – January 1, 2012) was the first democraticaly elected president of the Republic of Macedonia. Under his rule, Macedonia was the only state which seceded from Yugoslavia peacefully.

Kiro Gligorov

Quotes

• We are Slavs who came to this area in the sixth century (AD)... we are not descendants of the ancient Macedonians.
  • Foreign Information Service Daily Report, Eastern Europe (February 26, 1992)

• We are Macedonians but we are Slav Macedonians. That's who we are! We have no connection to Alexander the Great and his Macedonia. The ancient Macedonians no longer exist, they had disappeared from history long time ago. Our ancestors came here in the 5th and 6th century (AD).
  • Toronto Star (March 15, 1992)

• We are all Macedonians. We are all citizens of this country and Albanians have a long-term interest to integrate themselves in this country. This does not mean that they should lose their national, cultural and linguistic characteristics.
  • Mapping Macedonia: Idea and Identity (2004), p. 70 (Dated 1995)

• In the ethnically-mixed Balkans, it is impossible to create compact national states in which only members of one nation can live. This is an absurdity which can hardly be realized in Europe... Perhaps one nation can win a victory here and there, but then this would only lead to revanchism on the part of the others, and thus, there would never be an end [to warfare].
  • Mapping Macedonia: Idea and Identity (2004), p. 70 (Dated 1995)

• It’s not possible to implement overnight a maximization program because there are other political entities in the country that have to accept those solutions. Two-thirds of the population in Macedonia are [Slavic] Macedonians, and one-third consists of all the [other] ethnic groups together. Therefore, if you want to improve some of the ethnic rights, then you have to convince the [Slavic] Macedonian population that that is good, and that it is to the benefit of the country and of the [Slavic] Macedonians of the nation. All this requires time, preparation, argumentation, patience.
  • Mapping Macedonia: Idea and Identity (2004), p. 71

• In this part of the world it is difficult to find the true path between reason and emotion, myth and reality. This is the burden of the Balkans, which prevents us from becoming truly European.
  • Mapping Macedonia: Idea and Identity (2004), p. 81