Topi complaints of Kosovar counterpart’s absence

TIRANA, May 12 – President Bamir Topi took part Tuesday at the ceremony of inauguration of the new president, Gjorgje Ivanov, in neighboring Macedonia.
Presidents from Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia took attended the ceremony.
Albania has had close relations with Macedonia and it was among the first countries to recognize the neighboring country when it was created following the dissolution of former Yugoslavia.
Macedonia has ethnic Albanians making up one-fourth of its two-million population.
But Topi also made a public complaint of the lack of the ethnic Albanian Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu at the ceremony.
Macedonia has recognized Kosovo but has yet to establish diplomatic relations.
Topi also said he was sorry that Sejdiu was not present.
“I imposed the talk on the necessity that all Balkan countries should consider that the geo-political reality has changed, especially after Kosovo’s recognition from most of the region’s countries Šit is more than necessary that in future regional tables President Sejdiu should definitely be present,” he said.
The Albanian president said he had been in contact with Sejdiu minutes before the ceremony and they had agreed that the issue would be changed in the future.
Topi said he discussed with Ivanov strengthening political relations between the two countries and also starting new joint projects for bilateral and regional development.
The president said they had agreed that despite current achievements it was still good to stress the need for good neighborly relations in the region, where only a decade ago war-raged.
The media also reported that Topi had not accepted a coffee meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic.