Macedonia Albanians Oppose Joint Session with Serbia

Macedonian government building | Photo by: Balkan Inisght

The announcement of a joint session, planned for December and primarily dedicated to business issues, came from the Serbian ambassador to Macedonia, Tomislav Gjurin.

But the DUI says it was not consulted by the Macedonian Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski.

The DUI also said a joint session with Serbia would be seen as a provocation by Macedonian Albanians who make up a quarter of the country's population and have close ties to Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo. Serbia has refused to recognise Kosovo's independence.

“The DUI will not allow such a session to be held,” one senior source in the party told Balkan Insight.

Ambassador Gjurin said the joint session was planned for December as part of the scheduled visit by the Serbian Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetkovkic, to Macedonia.

He said that both countries would draw on the example of Slovenia and Croatia who in the past have held joint government sessions aimed at boosting cooperation.

“We do not exclude a joint government session with the key ministries signing several important economic agreements,” he added.

But the DUI is not impressed. “We support all forms of regional cooperation including with all countries in the Balkans, Kosovo as well. But there is no way our ministers will sit at the table with Cvetkvic’s government,” the same DUI source added.
 
The DUI is the largest ethnic Albanian party in Macedonia and has been part of Nikola Gruevski’s government since 2008.
 
Macedonia has maintained generally good relations with both Serbia and Kosovo despite Serbia's anger in 2008 after Macedonia recognized Kosovo’s independence.

In September, the DUI head, Ali Ahmeti, said Albanians in Macedonia should not get mixed up in the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia.