Skopje, 8 July 2021 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi believes he has not breached the Constitution by speaking Albanian in his address at the European Parliament’s Committee of Foreign Affairs (AFET) meeting that took place on June 28, 2021, in Brussels. “I maintain the position that I haven’t breached the Constitution. I found it more appropriate to deliver a speech in the language that I know best, and that’s my mother tongue. I also know the official, i.e. the literary Macedonian language properly,” Xhaferi told TV 24. He stressed that it was an innate and natural right that he had spoken in his mother tongue, asking what would have been the case if he had spoken in some other language, English or French for example. “Nobody can stop me from that. I fully respect the law,” he said. Xhaferi pointed out that he’s ready to answer to all institutions in case of criminal charges for violating the Constitution, noting that he will speak in his mother tongue when and where necessary and, according to him, that’s not subject to any sanctions. “I’ve shown so far that I respond appropriately to all institutions in this country,” said Xhaferi. As regards VMRO-DPMNE’s resolution on the red lines in the negotiations with Bulgaria, he said he has not yet received it officially, and has neither received the motion of no confidence against him, which, he noted, is still being translated. If the resolution meets the requirements, he added, it will be placed on the Parliament’s agenda. “I haven’t officially received the document and I don’t know what it says. A basis for me is what I receive in an appropriate procedure as an official document, not in the media, and then according to the Rules of Procedure, I’ll give an opinion,” said Xhaferi. In addition, he said he’ll call the local elections when the time comes, i.e. 90 days at most before the mandate of current mayors expires, and no less than 70 days before voting day. “I believe on July 30 we’ll have all the data and elements regarding deadlines, and in coordination with the State Election Commission, we’ll define the deadlines,” Xhaferi said.