TRANSCRIPT:
Dear friends, it goes without saying that the Voice of America had been indispensable for democracy promotion for a very long time, irrespective of the dominant ideology on the European continent. After the fall of communism, many were certain that we do not need this type of international broadcasting, but, unfortunately, visible backsliding of democracy, globally and in the Balkans, has proven all of them wrong.
The opening of the VOA service in the Macedonian language in 1999 meant a lot for solidifying transitional democracy by enhancing some of its key pillars: free speech and independent media. As the time was going by, pressed by the broader anti-democratic tendencies, the VOA was slowly going back to its traditional role: countering the malign political propaganda emanating from the authoritarian regime in Moscow and their regional proxies.
The progressive impact of the VOA over the Western Balkan region was especially important in the last 12 years since the Russian occupation of Crimea, by supporting the domestic efforts against the state-sponsored influx of fake news and illiberal political systems.
I would like to emphasize that it is still crucially important for VOA services in the regional languages to continue their broadcasting unimpeded. If not, the Russian propaganda will have ever-broader maneuvering space.
No one should be surprised that almost a decade ago, the Russian government effectively blocked the VOA by declaring it a foreign agent. So, without further ado, from me, full support for the Voice of America and the respectable struggle of its journalists for a better world!
Published
Pendarovski served as president of North Macedonia from 2019–2024. Before becoming president, he worked in national security, foreign policy and academic roles in North Macedonia.