Bekim Sali joined ‘Coalition of the Ready’ online while Albanian MPs skipped parliament’s Ukraine event

While Albanian members of parliament did not attend a parliamentary event marking Ukraine's independence anniversary, North Macedonia's first deputy prime minister Bekim Sali took part online in the Coalition of the Ready meeting held for the occasion.

There was no official announcement from either the Government or the Ministry of European Affairs about Sali's participation until reporters asked the press office; the Government later confirmed that he joined the meeting by videolink.

In its statement, the Government said Sali reaffirmed "the clear and principled position of North Macedonia in supporting Ukraine, its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations."

The statement added that "he stressed that North Macedonia remains a committed and credible ally within NATO and a partner of Ukraine, and that it will continue to contribute to joint efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace." The Government also reported that at the meeting Sali emphasised the need for strong and credible security guarantees for Ukraine as a basis for long-term stability and security.

According to the Government, Sali also highlighted "the strategic importance of Ukraine's European perspective, underlining that EU enlargement is a geopolitical investment in peace, security and stability across the whole European continent."

Earlier this summer, Sali visited Kyiv on 15 July to take part in the Ukraine – South-East Europe Summit. The regional diplomatic backdrop included Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Belgrade on 7 and 8 August, during which his remarks about Serbia's territorial integrity provoked protests in Kosovo and the subsequent removal of a large Ukrainian flag in Pristina. Relations between the ruling Albanian party at home, Vlen, and Kosovo prime minister Albin Kurti were also noted in reporting as a contextual factor.

The absence of Albanian MPs from the parliamentary event in Skopje — which marked the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence and activities connected to the Crimean Platform — was conspicuous. Speaker Afrim Gashi, who chairs the interparliamentary group for support of the Crimean Platform, was also not present; the Assembly's opening remarks were delivered by deputy speaker Antonio Molososki.

There has been no official confirmation that the absence amounted to a coordinated boycott. However, Rijad Shaqiri, an MP from the Alliance for Albanians, confirmed he deliberately did not attend as a reaction to President Zelensky's comments regarding Kosovo and said he would also skip future Ukraine-related events. The DUI party told some media that several MPs were on annual leave and others had not been informed about the event; DUI vice-president and former foreign minister Bujar Osmani posted congratulations to Ukraine on his Facebook page and shared photos from a previous visit.

Photo: Fejsbuk