In the coming months, until the New Year, various political working groups will undertake an in-depth study and analysis of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Information and results will be announced at an international conference due to organised in December. This was the outcome of today’s conference on the Framework Agreement, which was attended, among others, by Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Musa Xhaferi, who has the responsibility for the implementation of the Framework Agreement. Pieter Feith, from the Institute For Peace, and OSCE Ambassador to Macedonia Nina Suomalainen . According to Mr Xhaferi, the best method to implement the Framework Agreement is the Swiss example, whereby all ethnic groups involved speak three common languages.
“If we fail to achieve this level of communication, some groups could miss out on other nationality’s speeches. The Framework Agreement should serve to open up opportunities for Macedonia’s EU membership bid. All the working groups will work on the conceptualization of political reform for the nation to move closer to Brussels” said Xhaferi.
Mr Xhaferi was also pressed for for an answer as to why this process had not yet been completed after so long. Mr Xhaferi could only answer by insisting that the process was a long process that to be handled with caution and patience. Head of the OSCE mission in Macedonia Nina Suomalainen is reported to be pleased with the success of the Framework Agreement, saying ” We support a detailed study and analysis so that the government can see through implementation of the Framework Agreement. We also want to see more clearly defined multi-ethnic cohesion. We also believe that we need to find new models, which could incorporate current trends, such as the present government’s strategy for integrated education.”
For Pieter Feith, the agreement is a very good basis on which to build Macedonian efforts to join the EU, he went on to say ” Commissioner Hahn was recently in Skopje and clearly indicated that the implementation of the Framework Agreement will bring Macedonia closer to the EU.”
However Mr Feith added that full implementation takes time. Mr Xhaferi faced questioning on why details of the workings of the secretariat of the Framework Agreement are fully closed and not transparent Mr Xhaferi noted that in the following period any proposals will be received on the eve of the proposed International Conference in December. One question Mr Xhaferi refused to answer was a journalist’s inquiry as to the exact number of Albanians employed in the state’s public administration.
