Zaev-Rama: Enhancing relations through promotion of minority rights

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Albanian counterpart Edi Rama paid Saturday a visit to Pustec municipality, primarily populated by ethnic Macedonians.

Zaev and Rama met with teachers and pupils in a municipal elementary school, where the Macedonian PM donated books and working materials for the pupils, the Government said in a press release.

They also met with the Pustec local authorities, referring to the municipality’s priorities, such as the school reconstruction, along with support required for communal projects and local development.

Zaev thanked Rama for Albania’s support to ethnic Macedonians in the area.

“This is the way to open and solve issues. The presence of the countries’ prime ministers in Pustec is a symbolic show of the enhancement of bilateral relations, because minority communities are the bridge of this cooperation. Macedonia and Albania are two European-oriented countries that are prepared to nurture minority rights”, said PM Zaev at the meeting.

He also announced that the Government would support the settlement of issues of importance for ethnic Macedonians in Albania.

PM Zaev was accompanied by Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Education and Science Renata Deskoska and Minister for the Diaspora Edmond Ademi, while PM Rama by Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, Education Minister Lindita Nikolla and Minister for the Diaspora Pandeli Majko,

On Friday, Zaev also met with representatives of associations of ethnic Macedonians in Albania and party Macedonian Alliance for European Integration, tackling the enhancement in the use of Macedonian language in places populated by ethnic Macedonians, as well as ways to enhance cultural, educational and infrastructure needs, reads the press release.