WINNER OF GOLDEN WREATH AT SPE DECLARED IN UNESCO HEAD OFFICES

Skopje, March 19 (MIA) - This year's winner of the Golden Wreath at
Struga Poetry Evenings (SPE), Portuguese poet Vasco Graca Mura, was
presented at a ceremony on occasion of the World Day of Poetry- March
21, which was held in the UNESCO Head Offices in Paris on Thursday.

Furthermore, winner of international award "Struga Bridges" for best
young poet, which went to Philippine Angelo V. Suarez, was also
declared.

In the presence of numerous visitors, representatives of the
diplomatic corps and media, Macedonian Ambassador to France Jordan
Plevnes opened the ceremony with one-minute silence as a sign of
respect for late Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski.

Chairman of the Steering Board of SPE Zoran Ancevski had an address,
officially presenting laureate Vasco Grasa Mura, who is a member of
the European Parliament.

Citing verses from the most famous 16th century Portuguese poet Luis
de Camoes, in which Macedonia is mentioned, Grasa Mura
underlined, "this marks the destiny link of the Macedonian and
Portuguese culture, which belong to the mutual European civilization".

With this act, SPE enter the calendar of most renowned world
manifestations in the system of the United Nations, as a result of
the established permanent cooperation between SPE and UNESCO by
signing of the Communiqué between the Macedonian Government and
UNESCO in August 2003.

Thus, the Republic of Macedonia has achieved a significant diplomatic
breakthrough in its entire promotion in global view, having in mind
that the World Day of Poetry will be annually marked in the UNESCO
Head Offices with the presentation of the Golden Wreath winner of
Struga Poetry Evenings and the laureate at the international open
competition for young poets from all UNESCO member-countries.