Skopje, 30 July 2024 (MIA) – Minister for European Affairs Orhan Murtezani, when asked about the Worth It coalition’s initiative for the formation of an Albanian academy of sciences and arts, said it was included in the election program of the coalition in the May parliamentary elections.

“It is an election promise. This project shouldn’t be seen as something directed against a certain ethnic community. It is a project intended to create a space for the development of science and culture. It remains to be seen how this project, this initiative can be implemented in line with the legislation,” Murtezani said Tuesday.

According to the party leaders in the Worth It coalition, he stated, the current structure of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU) is the basis drawing a conclusion that ethnic background is the key factor to be admitted there instead of professionalism and achievements. 

“I’ll only share some of the perception of the majority of Albanians – there is no place in MANU for scientists from other ethnic communities. However, I don’t have something concrete because I don’t work in MANU and I cannot claim whether this is accurate,” Murtezani said. 

In a press release on Monday, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU) has always been open to all citizens who meet the high scientific and artistic criteria for membership, regardless of ethnic, religious or any other belonging. There has never been any room for the political parties and their influence within it, said the Presidency of MANU. 

Over the weekend, the Worth It coalition promoted an initiative on the formation of an Albanian academy of sciences, which was met with backlash by the ruling parties VMRO-DPMNE and ZNAM and the opposition SDSM and Levica.

PM Hristijan Mickoski said MANU brings together scientists and scholars from different ethnic communities, urging efforts to be made to enrich scientific thinking. 

MIA file photo

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Фото: МИА архива