Sunday, 13 August 2017
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT XHAFERI ON THE OCCASION OF 16TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OHRID FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
Distinguished Vice Prime Minister Authorised for Implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement,
Distinguished Ministers,
Your Excellences,
Distinguished media representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we mark 16 years since the ratification of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the inner conflict in the Republic of Macedonia. This significant document of peace in our state and of reconciliation between our citizens was drafted and ratified with a political will and was facilitated by our international friends.
Allow me to seize this occasion and thank the international community for constantly supporting our state.
The aim of this document, was and remains to be peace, promotion of peaceful and harmonic society, as well as development of the civil society, focused on respect of the ethnic identity and protection of the interests of all citizens.
This document, regardless of its name, was a basis, a framework which the constitutional amendments were based on, as well as the legislative reforms, whose implementation is found in the areas of decentralization, equitable and appropriate representation of the special parliamentary voting procedures which protect from outvoting the communities that are not majority in the area of education, usage of language, symbols, expression of cultural and ethnic identity, as well as the measures of implementation of these amendments.
In the past years, through the support of the Government, the Assembly, there have been numerous changes in his direction. In this period, everything was not as smooth and without hurdles. We have not always found understanding, on either sides, but we have and we will continue, since Macedonia has no other alternative.
The Ohrid Framework Agreement and its principles are the single manner in which our state will develop and promote democracy, will respect the multiethnic character and our citizens will equally exercise all their rights. To make this into reality, politicians – visionaries, responsible and with firm political will are needed. Politicians that unite rather than divide their citizens. It is difficult, but our task is to continue the work and earn the trust that the citizens gave us. I believe that it is worth. It is worth for the generations of today, worth for the future generations, and those to come.
Thank you.