Topi tells Skopje Ohrid Agreement vital to Macedonia’s stability

TIRANA, April 15 – Albanian President Bamir Topi held an official visit to neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia where he met with his Macedonian counterpart, Georgi Ivanov, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional topics.
Topi also held a speech at the Macedonian parliament and attended a Macedonian-Albanian Business Forum aimed at intensifying bilateral economic relations.
Topi also met with the heads of Macedonia’s top political parties.
The Albanian leader visited the western Macedonian town of Diber, where he was declared an honorary resident.
The two presidents reconfirmed a pledge to build strong bilateral relations.
In his address to the Macedonian parliament, Topi expressed his gratitude for Macedonia’s recognition of Kosovo.
“Our cooperation is not limited only to bilateral ties. They also contain a crucial regional dimension. The fact that our countries are decisively oriented and committed to joint Euro-Atlantic goals enriches the relations with significant international dimension and supplements the broad framework of this cooperation,” he added.
Topi says that the application of the Ohrid Agreement reached in 2001 based on the joint will of all political forces in Macedonia, would “contribute in full equalizing all the rights of each citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, that would also contribute in preserving the stability and ties existing among the human factors in the Republic of Macedonia,” he said after meeting with his counterpart Ivanov.
“I am convinced that all the factors should contribute for such an issue and be serious in the application (of the deal) which also had the blessing of the international community.”
Topi said that Albania’s and Macedonia’s roles were fundamental in preserving peace and stability in the Balkan region too.
Macedonia and Albania have intensified political cooperation largely due their common goal of joining NATO and EU. Albania is a NATO member while Macedonia is a step ahead to the EU integration compared to Albania.
During the talks Topi stressed that Skopje had to apply the Ohrid Agreement to go ahead in the peaceful coexistence between the ethnic communities in the country.
Macedonia’s large ethnic Albanian population is seen as one of the main potential areas for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the future.
The forum held Thursday aimed at enhancing bilateral economic ties and establishing greater cooperation among companies.
The Albanian business delegation as well as their Macedonian hosts tried to deepen cooperation in the fields of export and import of food and agriculture products, tourism, construction, software and hardware services, pharmaceutical products, insurance services, real estate, publishing, transport and logistics, energy and more.