Moisiu visits Macedonia

SKOPJE, Feb. 26 – Albanian President Alfred Moisiu paid a two-day visit this week to Macedonia to take part at an international forum on leadership held there. During the visit Moisiu met with his Macedonian counterpart Branko Crvenkovski and local Albanian political leaders. The two presidents on Monday expressed their “mutual satisfaction” on the relations between the two countries. Crvenkovski and Moisiu said they were pleased with the high degree of bilateral relations, the commitment to building amicable relations and comprehensive bilateral co-operation, and the commitment to continuing the contacts at all levels. They stressed the need to further boost the economic and cultural cooperation. They also commended the progress the both countries have made thus far in terms of NATO membership efforts and the co-operation of the Adriatic Charter signatory-countries, which expect to get an invitation for NATO membership at the next Alliance’s summit. Crvenkovski and Moisiu shared the position that both Macedonia and Albania need to invest additional efforts to wrap up the reform. President Crvenkovski spelled out Macedonia’s commitment to supporting Albania and shares its own experience on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration, says the official statement released shortly after the talks.
Moisiu also met with two political leaders of the main Albanian political parties in Macedonia _ Ali Ahmeti of the BDI and Mendu Tha詠of the PDSH. Moisiu also visited Tetova.
At the international forum Moisiu said that the Balkan region had come out or got rid of the viscious circle of the past and produce models of leadership. That is testified by the fact that former nationalistic leaders have been replaced by new moderate ones. “In any country in the region there are still political actors who base on extremist, nationalistic and conflicting politics but they are increasingly isolated from the majority of the serious politicians with human and European vision,” said Moisiu. The Albanian president also said that regional initiatives would further support the region’s integration into the international institutions and make the region safer.