The General Assembly of the European Free Alliance (EFA), held in Gandia, Spain, unanimously adopted the Resolution proposed by the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI) on the protection of the Macedonian minority in Albania and minority rights in the EU enlargement process.
The Resolution calls for a consistent and principled approach by both the Albanian authorities and the EU institutions to ensure that minority rights are not only recognized but also effectively implemented. Respect for self-identification, cultural diversity and equal opportunities must remain at the core of the European project, especially in the context of enlargement.
“The Albanian Government is required to ensure the full implementation of minority rights throughout the territory inhabited by Macedonians, including access to education in the Macedonian language wherever there is an appropriate demand. To introduce mechanisms for fair political representation of minorities, including consideration of guaranteed parliamentary representation, as well as to ensure sustainable economic and infrastructure investments in regions inhabited by minorities,” said the MAEI president and delegate to the EFA General Assembly Vasil Sterjovski.
According to Sterjovski, the Government is required to strengthen the independence and efficiency of the Committee on National Minorities, which is a government body, by providing for a rotation system for the chair and vice-chair among minority groups, to ensure free, fair and internationally monitored self-identification processes, including censuses, and to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
