Skopje, 16 December 2024 (MIA) – ZNAM – For Our Macedonia movement promoted Monday a national platform for Macedonian national unity defining the Macedonian national red lines.

“This is our campaign promise. Its goal is to unite all political factors in building a state position securing and guaranteeing Macedonia’s dignified path to meet our strategic objective – full-fledged membership into the European Union,” ZNAM leader Maksim Dimitrievski told a news conference today. 

ZNAM – For Our Macedonia movement, he added, with this move offers an opportunity for national unity, primarily of the Macedonian people but also of all ethnic communities living in the country.

“This is an opportunity for us, united, to build a strong, powerful, free and European Macedonia in which all citizens have equal rights and obligations,” said Dimitrievski adding he hoped all parliamentary parties will endorse the platform and by adopting it, pave the country’s way toward the European Union.

The ZNAM leader, whose party is a junior government coalition partner, said he will forward the platform to all government partners before sending it to all parliamentary parties. 

The platform for national unity defining the Macedonian national red lines is consisted of nine items, he revealed.

The first item refers to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of North Macedonia and the unitary character of the state, which are “inviolable and inalienable.” 

Macedonian language is a national, standard language of the Macedonian people with its autonomous language, space and time continuity, according to the second item.

“Macedonian national history, language and culture are landmarks of Macedonian identity and integrity. Any act aimed at denying, disputing, humiliating, redefining and adopting any character of the Macedonian national identity, internally or externally, Parliament will unequivocally and completely reject and publicly condemn it as a deliberate anti-Macedonian and anti-state act,” reads the third item. 

According to the fourth item, “August 2, Ilinden, is a national state holiday of the Macedonian nation and Macedonian state as a symbol of all its struggles for freedom and of the creation of a free, independent, sovereign Macedonian state.” 

“Any act to deny, dispute, desecrate or to change state symbols, the state coat of arms, flag and anthem, internally or externally, Parliament will fully reject and condemn it as a deliberate anti-Macedonian and anti-state act,” reads the fifth item.  

Parliament, says the sixth item, in Macedonia as a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, stable inter-ethnic relations and coexistence, are key for securing peace and coexistence, based on equal rights and obligations. Any threat, attempt or act aimed at creating tensions, destabilization, spreading of hatred or intolerance Parliament will fully condemn as an act against the country’s constitutional order. 

According to the seventh item, “the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia believes that the matter of protection of basic rights and freedoms and the status of Macedonian national minority living in neighbouring countries and other countries… is a top national and state interest and imperative in the country’s political activities.” 

The eighth item notes that Parliament reaffirms the country’s EU accession as a top state, national and strategic objective with the Copenhagen criteria being fully met under the same conditions now members-states of the bloc joined. 

The ninth and final item says that “Parliament underscores its unwavering position that no one, from any position or status, internally or externally, in any way or under any conditions has the right to negotiate or redefine issues related to the unitarity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, Macedonian language, identity, national history, culture, state symbols or the rights of the Macedonian national minority living beyond the borders of the Republic of North Macedonia.” 

Photo/video: MIA