Macedonia will finally build a state position on the name


Leaders Ali Ahmeti, Hristijan Mickoski and Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who will be attending the Leadership Meeting on Saturday in the Club of Representatives, will discuss the results of the negotiations between Macedonia and Greece, as well as the latest proposals by Matthew Nimetz, who according to the agenda will arrive in Skopje on January 31 to personally make sure that the internal consensus is reached.

From the office of President Gjorge Ivanov, the topic of the leadership meeting will be the latest proposal by mediator Nimetz. Government spokesman Mile Bosnjakovski confirmed that the current climate is positive and that an internal consensus is likely to be achieved. The government began to review and analyze the framework for the name solution presented by Nimetz during the last round of negotiations, while the Cabinet of Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov is in coordination with the Head of State’s Cabinet, so that the meeting between the state leadership and the leaders of the larger political parties should happen soon, say the government.

VMRO-DPMNE confirmed that they will attend the leadership meeting in order to get familiar with the proposals of the mediator.

“VMRO-DPMNE will attend the coordination process over the negotiation process regarding the problem that Greece has with the name of Macedonia. Party delegation will participate in the talks scheduled for Saturday, which will be attended by President Ivanov”, VMRO-DPMNE said. This will be the first leadership meeting attended by the newly elected leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski.

Unofficially, party sources briefed that they expect to hear for the first time where the negotiation process is, as they say, about the information and speculation they learned through the media. VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said in the interview for “Nezavisen/Independent” that the government keeps the process non-transparent.
“Our position regarding the possible change of our Constitution, and in order to change the constitutional name, is clear and on that issue is unchanged. We encourage the governments of Macedonia and Greece to find a dignified solution that would not violate the Macedonian national identity and ultimately put an end to this issue, “Mickoski said.

DUI briefly assessed that this leadership meeting will be only coordinative and should align the views of political parties over the Nimetz proposal.

The Alliance of Albanians also asked that Zijadin Sela takes part in the meeting, when the MFA had already invited the Macedonian opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, and in the name of the internal consensus.

“Ali Ahmeti does not have the legitimacy of the Albanians to speak on their behalf. He can only represent members of DUI at the joint table to discuss name proposals”, stated the Alliance ofAlbanians.

Some analysts believe that the leadership meeting is necessary and is happening in a true political moment for Macedonia. Political analyst Dzenis Sulejmani said that as long as the Albanian opposition parties have internal problems and are broken up, Ahmeti at the joint table of leaders is a legitimate representative of the Albanians.

“Important state situations, as in this case the name issue, imply the necessity for coordination between the state leadership and the leaders of political parties. That’s why this leadership meeting between Ivanov, Mickoski, Ahmeti and Zaev will show where the state policy is and whether those leaders are ready to prove their vision of the future of the country. If we take into consideration the latest statements by the state leadership and the statements of the leaders of the political parties, I personally am not optimistic that there will be a positive shift or convergence of their views. Our leaders, historically speaking, at times did not have the courage to make important decisions.
Regarding the issue that only Ahmeti from the Albanian parties is called to that meeting, I think that the decision is very legitimate. Other parties and coalitions have a management problem, and those parties deal with the leadership issue. Their seals and offices have become a joke for clearing internal accounts. In these cases, even if you want to invite them, you do not have their address or you have two addresses. Unfortunately, the figures are important in politics, and the Alliance and Besa together even do not have DUI’s figures in the legislature”, said Sulejmani.

Blerim Ismaili