18th anniversary of Ohrid Framework Agreement

Today, Tuesday August 13th marks the 18th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. The 2001 war conflict in Macedonia was put to an end with the signing of this agreement.

The Ohrid Framework Agreement was signed in Skopje on August 13, 2001. Then President Boris Trajkovski, former Prime Minister and VMRO-DPMNE leader Ljubcho Georgievski, as well as SDSM, DPA and PDP leaders, Branko Crvenkovski, Arben Xhaferi and Imer Imeri respectively, signed the contract.

The EU and U.S. special representatives, Francois Leotard and James Pardew, respectively, signed the document on behalf of the international community.

The then EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, U.S. representative Pieter Feith and legal experts, such as professors Vlado Popovski and Ljubomir Frchkovski, also took part in the negotiations.

More than 130 laws and amendments have been passed over the years, most of which referring to non-discrimination and just representation, identity, culture, education and power decentralization.