Macedonian government compromises with Albanians to save itself

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Democratic party of Macedonian Albanians has taken a decision to return to parliament after Macedonian administration partly satisfied their demands, REGNUM correspondent has reported. The day before, after a many-hours-long session and intensive talks that followed brief but informative consultations of both sides with US diplomats, leader of Macedonian Albanians Menduh Taci and Nikola Gruevski, head of the ruling Macedonian party VMRO-DPMNE, reached agreement. The government of Macedonia is being preserved, Albanian ministers returning to its ranks.

Gruevski failed to recognize all the radical demands of Taci. Nevertheless, he admitted a significant number of them. Within 10 days, working groups will be formed charged with developing legislation on equal usage of languages of the country's ethnic communities, consistent with the Constitution and Ohrid Agreement of 2001 between Albanian insurgents and Macedonian authorities.

The status of (Albanian) victims of the 2001 conflict will also be considered. Within 10 days, there should be adopted a plan of action to ensure equal participation of ethnic groups of Macedonia in state government.

A law on the usage of flags of ethnic groups will also be developed.

Two weeks ago, Gruevski rejected all the demands, following which Taci threatened that he would resign from the parliament. Today, the Macedonian government has agreed to 5 out of 6 Albanians' demands. The only issue that Macedonian Albanians have not yet managed to solve in their favor is the issue of recognition of Kosovo independence.

Besides, the compromise here is also possible. Pristina Zeri daily has published a statement by spokesman of Macedonian government Ivica Bocevski who admitted that his country was ready to recognize Kosovo's independence, however, after an agreement with the breakaway region on border demarcation is signed.

Albanian authorities of the “independent Kosovo” are so far in no hurry to sign the document, Bocevski noted.