Welcome address

Respected Colleagues,

On behalf of the Macedonian Microbiological Society, the Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical Faculty, the Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje as well as the Balkan Society of Microbiology, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the VI^th Congress "Microbiologia Balkanica 2009" and IV^th Congress of Macedonian Microbiologists, which is to be held in Ohrid from 28 to 31 October 2009.

The VI^th Congress "Microbiologia Balkanica 2009" continues the biannual tradition of meetings organized in a different member country, with participation of microbiologists from all branches and medical doctors involved in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infections and infectious diseases. The Balkan Society of Microbiology was constituted 11 years ago aimed at enabling professional and scientific collaboration between regional colleagues in order to exchange experiences and knowledge for the most prominent, emerging and useful microorganisms as well as communicable disease in the region and widely.

MMS organized three previous Congresses (in 1997, 2002 and 2006, all in Ohrid) where participants from 12 to 16 European and worldwide countries took part. It also organized FEMS supported Symposium Laboratory Diagnosis of Emerging Infections (2002) and FEMS Council Meeting (2002). Enriched with experience from these previous events, the Organizing Committee of MMS will select representative plenary lectures and actual topics in the high level professional and scientific program.

Traditionally we choose the ancient city of Ohrid to be the meeting place. It is the cradle of the Slavic culture and Cyrillic alphabet, located on the eastern shore of the famous Lake Ohrid.

We are confident that your stay in Ohrid will be a memorable scientific and social experience.

President elect
of the BSM and the Macedonian Microbiological Society
Prof. Dr Milena Petrovska

President of the Scientific Committee of
"Microbiologia Balkanica 2009"
Prof. Dr Nikola Panovski

President of the Scientific Committee of
IV Congress of the Macedonian Microbiologists
Prof. Dr Elena Trajkovska-Dokik