Thursday, 21 November 2019
PRESIDENT XHAFERI’S ADDRESS AT THE SOLEMN ACADEMY IN MEMORY OF PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
Distinguished Leader of the Democratic Union for Integration, Mr. Ahmeti,
Dear Mayor of Chair, Mr. Ganiu,
Distinguished representatives of local institutions,
Distinguished representatives of the local self-government of the United States of America,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, on the occasion of the cultural and scientific celebration "Days of the Alphabet" I have the honor to greet you as President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and on behalf of my fellow Members of Parliament, and to participate in the unveiling ceremony of the bust of the former US President Woodrow Wilson in front of the Chair Municipality building following its unveiling at the Memorial Academy, in honour of this prominent figure of the American people, but also a world figure who deserved an honourable place in the history of the Albanian people and not only there, but beyond, in the history of the suffering Balkans that has somehow always been the place towards which aspirations were reflected of those who were not a natural part of it. President Wilson was a visionary, a diplomat, and a man with a clear world view – that the President should always be in the service of the people and that the people are the sovereign who must decide their own fate. He opposed the idea that great powers should decide 
the fate of small states however powerless they were. It was precisely this principle that served as his guide and impetus for playing such an important role during the Paris Peace Conference negotiations where European forces continued with traditional diplomacy.
And now, as we live in a new reality, we reaffirm our gratitude to the United States of America for being our strategic partner in achieving our goals set out since the state’s independence – full membership in NATO and the EU, for the strong support they give to the country and to the entire Western Balkans region as well.
Congratulations and thank you for your attention!