[B][SIZE="5"]Macedonia takes steps to preserve ethnic co-existence[/SIZE][/B]

[QUOTE]By Misko Taleski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 16/03/12

Macedonian officials began accession dialogue with the EU on Thursday (March 15th), as the nation's worst ethnic conflict in 11 years began to subside.

It is unknown if the tensions between ethnic Macedonians and Albanians, in which at least 30 people were arrested, will be addressed in talks with the Union. But former Foreign Minister Slobodan Chashule told SETimes that he believes the Macedonian public and the international community will recognise the incidents as the actions of extremists, and are not a representation of Macedonia as a whole.

"The feigned incidents will have absolutely no influence at the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago because everybody now recognises they have a background which the world rejects as a means to solve problems," Chashule said.

Fighting occurred primarily in Skopje and Tetovo. The incidents began after an off-duty policeman, an ethnic Macedonian, killed two ethnic Albanian men over an apparent disagreement about a parking space in Gostivar.

Groups of Albanian youths retaliated with attacks on Macedonians in buses and at bus stops, fueling a cycle of violence. Security in several cities was increased to disarm roaming gangs carrying metal bars, baseball bats and knives.

Several football matches were suspended indefinitely after fans of the Macedonian champion Shkendija Tetovo attacked a group of schoolboys on Sunday and stabbed a police officer, according to media reports.

"The internal affairs ministry continues to undertake preventive measures and has increased its presence in the field, mostly in buses and around bus stops," spokesperson Ivo Kotevski told SETimes.

The fighting prompted a statement from the EU, which warned against "emotional consequences" of continued unrest.

[B]Analysts argue there are two causes of the fights -- political parties aiming to return to power by abusing incidents for nationalist purposes; and by foreign security services, trying to destabilise Macedonia prior to the NATO summit in Chicago this May.[/B]

"There can be no repeat of the 2001 conflict because the Albanian minority is now integrated in the Macedonian society," St Cyril and Methodius University Professor and political analyst Biljana Vankovska told SETimes.

[B]One of Macedonia's leading security analysts, Petar Shkrbina, told SETimes the latest developments are a result of the Albanians being emboldened to change the constitutional order of Macedonia.[/B]

[B]"The first phase was a budgetary redistribution by ethnicity, and the second will be to federalise the country along the ethnic boundaries that are being re-drawn. That is why the attempt to falsify the census given their lacking numbers as well as to solve problems not via civil institutions but through mob rule," Shkrbina said.[/B]

Citizens say they are afraid but also say they remain trustful in interethnic co-existence which has been built for years in Macedonia.

"It is obvious the incidents were an attempt to ruin the ethnic co-existence and destabilise the country by misusing young people. As peoples, Macedonians and Albanians have never fought before and should never in the future. Fighting, at a time when minorities' rights and freedoms are advanced, would create more than a precedent with security implications, not only for Macedonia," Skopje resident Jovan Trajanovski, 53, told SETimes.

The leaders of the ruling DUI party tried to calm the situation.

"Macedonia has a long tradition of ethnic tolerance and peaceful coexistence which dates back centuries. We will build a good future for all citizens based on this principle, and not based on criminal acts by a small group of individuals," Deputy Prime Minister Musa Dzaferi said.

[url]http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2012/03/16/feature-03[/url]
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[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="4"][B]Anonymous reader comment[/B][/SIZE]
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[QUOTE][B]This situation just highlights the complete lack of nation building being undertaken by the present Government of Macedonia. [/B]The focus has been on nationalism! If there was so much interest in working together with the Albanian minority, why doesn’t Ali Ahmeti ever appear in public with his coalition partner Nikola Gruevski. This was particularly noticeable at the opening of the airport in September – why wasn’t Ali Ahmeti present – this was a fantastic event for Macedonia. It is obvious to everyone in Macedonia that a coalition is created after each election, the country is divided up and the leaders do whatever they want. [B]Macedonia is becoming more and more like 2 separate nations – why are fiscal receipts not issued in Albanian owned businesses in Tetovo and Gostivar. Why is smoking allowed in the same coffee bars in Restaurants? The Albanians are doing what they want and Gruevski’s Government turns a blind eye. Meanwhile, Macedonian owned businesses are harrassed constantly, but that Albanian businesses are allowed to profit. This is just one example of this nation heading in 2 different directions. Katastrophe!!!![/B][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=United MKD;123023]Is that our friend Valmir from this forum? He did say he was from Kumanovo. You need a brush up on your fashion skills my friend.[/QUOTE]

Nope. i am not him,I live in Kumanovo and not in any village around the city.
If you want to see me pm ;)

Tomorrow there is supposed to be a major gathering organized in Skopje called "March for Peace", the organizers are calling on all Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, and Vlachs to participate. This sounds like a great initiative, but why do I have the feeling that the Albanians will be the only ethnic group there holding foreign flags???

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCJRITVBNig]Заедно за мир - Së bashku për Paqe - Birlikte Barış icin - Together for Peace - YouTube[/url]

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoGCB7pHqPw]Заедно за мир - Se bashku per Paqe - Birlikte Barıs icin - Together for Peace (part II) - YouTube[/url]

as long as there is no respect for each other the possibility is there that there could be another war before macedonia seeks entry to eu.It gets very little support from the albanians unless it is a political coalition.
Valmir you say it's not you but we think it's you given the circumstances.Do you wear silk suits with the red t shirts??

If things are to change for the better then they shouldn't just be marching for 'peace', they should also be marching for the preservation of a Macedonian Macedonia. Marching just for 'peace' doesn't address the matter of Macedonia being split along 'ethnic' lines under the leadership of Gruevski.

[B]I don’t know how valid this blog/Link is but here what is claims..it’s in greek so you’d need to use google translator[/B]



Fledgling Albanian organization THREAT TO MILITARY IN GREECE IN CHTIPIMA Kastoria and Florina!


"A new army will liberate all Albanian territories under Serbian, Macedonian, Montenegrin and Greek occupation" is the beginning of the text sent to the agency "Army for the Liberation of the occupied territories of Albania" or else in Albanian ACTOSH
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZB7-l_w2FmE/T2JeV31SrHI/AAAAAAAAF5s/x--RthyFYsU/s320/%25CE%25B1%25CE%25BB%25CE%25B2%25CE%25B1%25CE%25BD%25CE%25B1.jpg[/IMG]

Albanian terrorist organization ACTOSH, which threatens to hit Balkan targets, including Greece. The organization, which claims to have ...
"An army" and a large arsenal, sent notice to the National News Agency of Albania, which refers, inter alia, that will go in attacks on areas such as Montenegro, and Kastoria, Florina and Konitsa to the " return to Albania. "
[url]http://elnewsgr.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/blog-post_9323.html[/url]

the fact is that these people do not give up so easily.They are there to fight for another day.Maybe that's why greece bought all those tanks.

[QUOTE=George S.;123072]as long as there is no respect for each other the possibility is there that there could be another war before macedonia seeks entry to eu.It gets very little support from the albanians unless it is a political coalition.
Valmir you say it's not you but we think it's you given the circumstances.Do you wear silk suits with the red t shirts??[/QUOTE]

You can think whatever you want but i am not that guy, and NO i dont wear those suits with red t-shirts :D, I dont show the love for my nation with Red t-shirts and the flags around me :), SIMPLE THATS NOT MY WAY.

Hmm.........which one of their Balkan darlings would the US / NATO support if such a conflict ever came to pass?

[QUOTE]The first phase was a budgetary redistribution by ethnicity, and the second will be to federalise the country along the ethnic boundaries that are being re-drawn. That is why the attempt to falsify the census given their lacking numbers as well as to solve problems not via civil institutions but through mob rule," Shkrbina said.
[/QUOTE]
Great summary in a nutshell.