Politicians Prepare To Mark Peace Deal Anniversary

The accord has opened the way for Macedonia's membership of NATO and EU

The deal, which was signed on 13 August 2001, in the lake resort of Ohrid in southwestern Macedonia, ended almost a year of armed clashes between government forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents resulting in greater rights for the country’s substantial Albanian community.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov and Deputy Prime Minister Musa Xhaferi are expected to speak at the start of a two-day conference this weekend in Ohrid, marking the signing of the historic accord that prevented ethnic differences escalated into deadly conflict.

In 2001, the agreement was reached by then-president Bosis Trajkovski and the country's four main political parties, two of which were Albanian. Negotiations were supported by the European Union, the US and NATO.

Philip Reeker, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia and former US ambassador to Macedonia, is expected to join the conference. Also expected is James Pardew, the former US envoy to Macedonia, who at the time of the peace deal was one of the international guarantors of the treaty.

Only one of the original signatories of the accord, Branko Crvenkovski, the head of the Macedonian main opposition party, the Social Democrats has confirmed his participation at the conference.

Two of the original signatories are of the accord, the then head of state Boris Trajkovski, and the head of the ethnic Albanian Party for Democratic Prosperity, PDP, Imer Imeri, have since passed away.