The Republic of Macedonia has been embracing the basic principles of the Francophonie and taking the place it deserves in the large Francophone family since 2006, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said Thursday in Copenhagen.

"The French language is part of our history and our European future," Poposki said in his address at the opening of the XI Francophone Seminar in Copenhagen University, organized in honor of the International Francophone Day.

Referring to the International Organization of the Francophonie(IOF), Poposki said that in the last decade IOF had dedicated all of its attention to main, global political and economic challenges, demonstrating in the process its vigor and modernization.

"The values, principles of the actions of the Francophonie are universal and stimulate us to invest more energy in nourishing and promoting the diversity of cultural, linguistic identity of the IOF members, which are certainly one of the crucial elements for the IOF presence and reputation across the globe," Poposki said.

The International Francophone Day, celebrated worldwide, is dedicated to the French language - a language that unites more than 220 million people across the five continents. This event is an opportunity to focus on - and celebrate - the linguistic and cultural diversity in Europe and worldwide.