Skopje, 13 August 2025 (MIA) - There is no real democracy without trust and no functional state without equality. This is the philosophy behind this Government - building a society that does not see diversity as an obstacle but as richness, not as division but opportunity. That is why all decisions and reforms must be in accordance with the Ohrid Framework Agreement principles, Deputy PM and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Izet Mexhiti told a ceremonial Government session on occasion of the 24th anniversary from the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement on Wednesday.

Deputy PM Mexhiti said the OFA is not only a memory but a living process "that needs to be turned into just laws and inclusive policies, and institutions that serve the citizens with honesty".

"Let's preserve this agreement as our political and moral pearl. Let's continue to implement it through commitment and vision, because this is the only way that our common home North Macedonia can be a just, equal and prosperous country for all," said Mexhiti.

According to him, this day is not merely an observance of a document that put an end to a conflict, but a reminder of the political and institutional vision our modern state is built upon - a country of all and for all.

"OFA is the foundation for the development of a new approach in building a state - an approach that sees equality and inclusion as indispensable elements of a democratic governance. Our governmental policies are based on this spirit, in building a country that serves every citizen, regardless of the ethnic, religious or political affiliation. OFA was not only a peace treaty but our new societal contract that set up a series of reforms and policies aimed at transforming institutions from closed structures into open, accessible and representative mechanisms," said Mexhiti.

He added that the Government is committed to building a legal and institutional system that guarantees real, not only a formal equality.

"This is not just a legal obligation, this is a political and moral mission, because we all feel the consequences of formal equality, such as the partial law on the use of languages, which is challenged before the Constitutional Court, and the balancer tool that the Constitutional Court has terminated. The Court should interpret laws in line with the Constitution, not only blindly read its articles. Therefore, the Government is strengthening the use of the languages in accordance with the principles of the OFA and the Constitution, on all administration levels and in public life, as a symbol of equality and mutual respect. In simple terms, the use of the Albanian language in public institutions in not cancelled, and we are investing efforts to strengthen it amid the current law's challenge before the Constitutional Court. We are implementing inclusive policies in education and culture, which reflect our societal mosaic and give every community its deserved space for development of its identity. We are building a multiethnic state administration in which representation is not merely a statistic but an added value on the efficiency and credibility of institutions. In this spirit, we developed the law on just representation, which is set to be adopted in the Parliament very soon," underlined Mexhiti.

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