Skopje, 29 June 2024 (MIA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of North Macedonia issued a press release Saturday stating that it notes the preliminary results of the 2023 Census in the Republic of Albania with serious concern, and expressing dissatisfaction with the use of the term “northmacedonians” and the use of a country’s name as a substitute for an ethnic community.

“The technical irregularities in the realization of the Census which the Macedonian associations in the Republic of Albania continuously highlighted ahead of the Census, as well as during its realization resulted in the publishing of preliminary results which unfortunately don’t appropriately reflect the actual number of ethnic Macedonians in the country. Additionally, the Ministry expresses dissatisfaction and strongly reacts to the use of the term ‘northmacedonians’ and the use of the name of a country as a substitute for an ethnic community,” the Ministry said in the press release.

The Ministry also said it would summon Ambassador Dancho Markovski for urgent consultations aimed at specifying the failings and inconsistencies of the process, reviewing the opportunities for appropriate correction of the shortcomings and identifying the most appropriate ways for further joint action and promotion of bilateral relations with the Republic of Albania.

“In the coming period the Ministry will intensively cooperate with the relevant representatives of the authorities in the Republic of Albania and the representatives of the Macedonian community in the Republic of Albania in the direction of their cultural and social promotion within Albanian society, which unfortunately and more than evidently has been completely ignored by the previous Government in our country. All open issues between two neighboring states should be solved through dialogue and mutual understanding and respect for the rules, principles and values of the international legal order,” the MFA said.

The representative of the Macedonian Embassy in Tirana, Ljuftim Spahiu and the member of the Committee on Minorities, Marjana Kosotofski, left INSTAT's presentation of the Census results on Friday in protest after not receiving an answer why the Macedonian minority was presented by the name of the country, North Macedonia, in Albanian and “northmacedonians” in English, while all other minorities were listed by their actual names. 

Photo: MIA Archive