The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC), as an independent non-governmental organization, expresses its concern about the recent events in Macedonia. The President of Macedonia refused to grant a mandate to the head of the opposition for the formation of the new government. He tried to justify this with calls of nationalistic hatred toward the Albanian parties of Macedonia, thus referring to the statement of the Albanian parties in Macedonia. AHC deems it necessary to emphasize that any statement by representatives of Macedonian institutions that contains anti-Albanian rhetoric harms interethnic harmony and co-existence.
The Albanians of Macedonia are state-forming factors. They have sought and seek the stability of Macedonia and its integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. The State of Macedonia is obliged to respect universal principles, implement the Ohrid Agreement, and treat Albanians in an equal manner.
The encouragement of ethnic tension is not useful for stability either in Macedonia or the Balkans. Internal crises should be resolved according to the spirit of the Macedonian Constitution, of international documents accepted and ratified by Macedonia, and understanding and constructive dialogue.
AHC supports the statements of human rights activists in Macedonia and of the former chairperson of the Macedonian Helsinki Committee. AHC suggests to Macedonian organizations to act in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms in order to contribute to calming down the situation, strengthening the rule of law, and equality before the law. Interethnic hatred, nationalistic and discriminatory propaganda go against stability and a European spirit.
We also support the position of international actors, the Assembly, Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania. The stance of Albanian institutions comes as an obligation envisaged in the preamble of the Constitution of Albania and article 8, item 1, of it that envisages that the Republic of Albania protects the national rights of the Albanian people living outside its borders.
The rights of Albanians should be respected. The Ohrid Agreement should be implemented. Macedonia is also a state party to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe, which envisages in its first article that “the protection of national minorities and the rights and freedoms of persons belonging to these minorities represent a component of international protection of human rights, and as such, are included in the framework of international cooperation.”
