Military exercise ‘against terrorism’ on Albanian border causes more irritation in Tirana.
TIRANA, July 11 – Albania’s foreign ministry convened the Macedonian ambassador to the country to show its displeasure on the mixed reactions following developments in the neighboring country.
Tirana is not pleased how its messages on the recent protests by ethnic Albanians were interpreted from the Skopje government.
Police in western Macedonia used violence to disperse ethnic Albanian protesters angry over the verdict in a murder trial following a court verdict that imposed life sentences on six Muslim men for the murder of five Christian fishermen in an alleged plot to destabilize the country. The six men deny the charges.
The ambassador was again told about the concern Tirana has on the violence exerted on the demonstration there, saying that does not help to clarify the issue and also damages the inter-ethnic ties. It said that could not be interpreted as intervention in the internal affairs in Macedonia.
About a third of Macedonia’s population is made up of ethnic Albanians.
Albania repeated that it supports Macedonia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
But Tirana insisted that respecting the Ohrid Agreement, signed in 2001 after an armed rebellion from the ethnic Albanians complaining of the lack of the basic human rights and more.
“Any attempt to look for causes or other factors and moreover beyond Macedonia’s borders would be counterproductive,” said a statement of the Albanian foreign ministry.
In addition to the diplomatic spat, there has been irritation in Albanian media and in analyst circles with military exercises Skopje held this week on Albanian border in Lake Ohrid.
The exercise scenario involved the “infiltration into Macedonia of a terrorist group which would mingle with the local population to cause unrest,” several Albanian language media outlets in Macedonia reported.
The exercise involved special forces and was witnessed by the country’s top civilian and military leaders. The deputy defense minister, an ethnic Albanian, did not attend, even though the exercises took place in his hometown of Struga, an overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian town.
An expert with the Albanian Institute for International Studies said the move is extremely provocative.
“Skopje must not forget that this is 2014. Albania is a NATO member. That is a NATO border they are holding exercises at,” the expert said. “Where is this threat coming from? NATO?”
