Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki will depart for the Vatican on Friday, accompanied by Macedonia's newly-appointed ambassador to the Vatican Gjoko Gjorgevski, to present an official invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to visit Macedonia. The invitation comes from President Gjorge Ivanov, but according to state protocol, it will be presented by the foreign minister.

This invitation comes on the occasion of the marking of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa, as well as the opening of the Memorial House to Mother Teresa in Skopje, the good cooperation between Macedonia and the Vatican, and the building and opening of a few catholic churches in the country over the last few years.