Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska commended the inauguration of a Macedonian Language, Literature, and Culture Lectorate in Tirana, emphasizing the positive reception of Macedonian language promotion abroad.

In a pre-forum statement to the media at the Union of Fighters on Thursday, the Minister highlighted that the establishment of the lectorate is governed by an interstate agreement.

“I express my appreciation for the initiation of a Macedonian language course at the University of Tirana. The opening of the lectorate is regulated by an interstate agreement. Presently, it operates as a voluntary course, similar to the one at the University of Foreign Languages in Korçë, established through collaborative efforts with the Macedonian Language Council. The Macedonian language has been taught as a foreign language for the second year, and a free online course is also available. Furthermore, starting the next academic year, the Macedonian language course will be a mandatory component of study programs at the Faculty of Philology in Korçë,” she stated.

The Macedonian Language Lectorate, initiated by the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University’s International Seminar on Macedonian Language, Literature, and Culture in Skopje, was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Faculty of Foreign Languages within the University of Tirana.

Macedonian Language Lectorates have been established in various university centers globally, including Poland, Romania, China, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, France, Croatia, and other countries.