Political rift shadows 25th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement as DUI holds separate event

A visible split within the Albanian political camp has emerged ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement: DUI will hold its own commemoration while the Government stages a central programme in Skopje — and not all political leaders will attend the state events.

Different calendars, different ceremonies

The Government is marking the jubilee under the motto "25 години и понатаму" with an international panel discussion, a formal government session and a cultural programme on the Stone Bridge. "Tomorrow, at the international panel discussion three panels will be held on the topics 'The Ohrid Framework Agreement and the path to EU integration', 'The future of the Ohrid Agreement and building a stable peace' and 'Decentralization and local development as pillars of democracy and social strategy'. At the panels the co-chairs of Vredi Izet Medzhiti and Bilal Kasami, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Timcho Mucunski, the Minister of Relations between Communities Agon Ferati, then Kostadin Kostadinov, Azis Pollozhani and representatives from the OSCE will speak. On 13 August there will be a formal government session which is organized for the third year in a row, at which the vice premiers Bekim Sali and Aleksandar Nikolovski will deliver addresses. In the evening, on 13 August, at the Stone Bridge the central event with modern and classical music will be held" — said Venera Ljatifi Azizi, the Government's spokeswoman.

Notably, some invited figures will not take part. Vredi has declined to attend what it calls the event organised by Ali Ahmeti, while the leader of VMRO‑DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, announced he will be on a trip to Belgium and will not be present at the ceremonial session.

DUI, led by Ali Ahmeti, likewise announced it will not participate in the Government's central manifestation. "Having in mind that the budget and organisation for this event were determined when Ivan Stoilkovic was Minister of Relations between Communities, we do not believe there will be representatives from DUI at the event" — said representatives of Ahmeti's party.

Under Ahmeti's patronage DUI will mark the 25th anniversary at the Alexander Palace hotel with a documentary screening and a panel discussion. "As part of the programme a documentary film will be shown with the most significant events from 2001 and the process that led to the signing of the Ohrid Agreement. A significant part will be devoted to the major engagement of the Western world and the international community, which played a key role in mediating and achieving a political and peaceful solution" — DUI said.

"The central part of the programme will be the panel discussion, with the participation of prominent figures, protagonists and direct witnesses of the events of 2001. The Ohrid Agreement will be considered not only as a historical event, but also as a lesson for understanding the present and building the future, and it will be analysed why it represented the best peaceful solution to end the 2001 war. 25 years after 13 August, we remember history, analyse the present and draw lessons for the future" — DUI added.

The split in scheduling underscores that dates of national significance do not automatically guarantee cross‑party unity: at least for this anniversary the Albanian political bloc will mark the same milestone separately.

Photo: Монтажа