Skopje, 13 August 2021 (MIA) – We’re gathered here today to think about the bravery men and women showed 20 years ago and to express our deepest respect towards them with the promise to implement and embrace the spirit of peace agreed upon on 13 August 2001, First Deputy PM Artan Grubi said on Friday at a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. “Dear friends, balance requires complete equality. In order to live together, we must live as equals. This balance can only be found in a democratic political system, where the value and dignity of each person are recognized, where everyone is equal, the majority stands for rights for all, and where compromise and individual freedom are valued. The essence of equality lies in democracy. When democracy is implemented right, it absorbs the individual and the community, offering equal opportunities but also asking for equal responsibility. The loyalty of the individual and the community towards the country starts with the country’s loyalty towards the individual and the community,” Grubi said. He underlined that all communities and citizens benefited from the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which transformed North Macedonia from a warring country into a NATO member state that has gotten a green light for EU membership. “The joint success of national leaders and international friends, civil society and media, people who shared the same values, from the abyss of war turned my country into a place of hope and a success story. Today, I want to remember all the people who saved my country in 2001 and taught us how to achieve balance. A lot of them are here among us, but those who aren’t will never be forgotten,” Grubi stressed. Our challenges “Beyond Ohird”, he added, are promoting rule of law, fight against crime and corruption, diversity and inclusivity, credible democratic institutions, and high quality of life by embracing the green agenda. “If it wasn’t for Ohrid, there wouldn’t be Prespa, and if it wasn’t for these two agreements, we wouldn’t have joined NATO. We can’t stop here, we must find the strength to implement the third agreement with the same courage and commitment that sealed our European future. Let’s lead and work for the next generations, not for the next elections. The Ohrid and Prespa Agreements taught us that this country, these people, this region, can’t house Euroscepticism, but on the contrary – the bigger the challenge, the bigger our commitment, because dear friends: our sun rises on the west,” the First Deputy PM said.