i'm sick of seing albanian pictures.These people simply want a country within a country.Look ar rhe problems they are creating & they are only 17% of the population.

My disgust at the Albanian flag being flown has me not even take any notice of it, to really look at the flag, until now, the supposed eagle on the flag was what I thought a scorpion!

Hello all, I'm American but have lived here in Skopje for the past 4/5 years and have come to consider this country my second home. But on topic:

I think the problem between Albanians and Macedonians is a very serious one. To be honest, I foresee big trouble in the future for this country based on the way things are at the moment. The school issue is the most important, IMO. The current system is very close to a system of segregation and I think it is very dangerous. Ideally, Albanians and Macedonians should attend the same schools and interact. Albanians should be fluent in Macedonian; likewise, it wouldn't hurt to teach Macedonian kids the basics of Albanian. A tolerant and multicultural Macedonia must be created, but I don't think this is happening at the moment and the consequences can be very grave, as other Balkan countries can attest. You guys have only been independent for ~20 years and yet you have done as much as any of the current Balkan countries; I think your future will be glorious but only if you do things right.

the albanians want our country they think it's theirs.Like they carry on that they are illyrian.But forget to mention that they have no link to the ancients & probably hail from albania in asia.So because of our govt's stupidity etc they are making all sorts of claims & they seem unstoppable.

Welcome Nitanee, what were your reasons for moving to Skopje?

Second that Welcome Nitanee,

Albanians don’t seek a multicultural State but bi-national one that is their first goal, moving to autonomy then full independence they seek to destroy Macedonia as the Macedonian State of the Macedonians in fact they actually resent it that the Macedonia's should and could have their own Homeland.

The Ohrid Framework Accord guarantees it, the constant pandering and flying concessions of Macedonian parties assure it not to mention the complete lack of will of the Macedonian public sets it in stone. The United States in the formative years of Macedonian Independence had plans to partition our Country between Sofia and Athens, Serbia was loose so it did not tally out, it then continued to NOT! support our Independence for ten years until 2007 when it gave us a gift horse to stop a democratic referendum essentially cosy up to the Albanians our worth is what we can offer Kosovo.

Then came 2001 and complete capitulation to Terrorism and the infamous Ohrid accord the Battle of Archinovo ended the conflict on the ground effectively but was extended 8 more months courtesy the of the 51st US Marine battalion and MPRO instructors on the ground rescuing in air conditioned buses cut throats right under the nose of the Macedonian Army just weeks after 9/11.

Sorry to dig deep and I hope you aren’t offended..........but you may have noticed some animosity towards the United States displayed on this Forum not you personally I just want you to know how the US has never been our friend and alley it certainly is not our friend when it insists we need to Negotiate with Greece.

[QUOTE=nitanee;116704]Hello all, I'm American but have lived here in Skopje for the past 4/5 years and have come to consider this country my second home. But on topic:

I think the problem between Albanians and Macedonians is a very serious one. To be honest, I foresee big trouble in the future for this country based on the way things are at the moment. The school issue is the most important, IMO. The current system is very close to a system of segregation and I think it is very dangerous. Ideally, Albanians and Macedonians should attend the same schools and interact. Albanians should be fluent in Macedonian; likewise, it wouldn't hurt to teach Macedonian kids the basics of Albanian. [B]A tolerant and multicultural[/B] Macedonia must be created, but I don't think this is happening at the moment and the consequences can be very grave, as other Balkan countries can attest. You guys have only been independent for ~20 years and yet you have done as much as any of the current Balkan countries; I think your future will be glorious but only if you do things right.[/QUOTE]
Please piss off with multicultural, democratic bullshit. Leave our country and people alone we don't want your western democracy and multicultural Macedonia. Tell me in what country in the world does a majority of people learn and teach the language of a minority that hardly consists 20% of the population, let me help you with the answer NONE.
We want a macedonian Macedonia where the majority should be respected and if they don't like they can leave.

[QUOTE=nitanee;116704]Hello all, I'm American but have lived here in Skopje for the past 4/5 years and have come to consider this country my second home. But on topic:

I think the problem between Albanians and Macedonians is a very serious one. To be honest, I foresee big trouble in the future for this country based on the way things are at the moment. The school issue is the most important, IMO. The current system is very close to a system of segregation and I think it is very dangerous. Ideally, Albanians and Macedonians should attend the same schools and interact. Albanians should be fluent in Macedonian; likewise, it wouldn't hurt to teach Macedonian kids the basics of Albanian. A tolerant and multicultural Macedonia must be created, but I don't think this is happening at the moment and the consequences can be very grave, as other Balkan countries can attest. You guys have only been independent for ~20 years and yet you have done as much as any of the current Balkan countries; I think your future will be glorious but only if you do things right.[/QUOTE]

I agree that the school issue is serious, but Macedonians having to learn the language of a minority that is less than 20% is not the solution. There are many minorities in Macedonia, so are Macedonians now obligated to speak everyone's language? Let's not make this complicated, the solution is simple. Macedonian is the official language, it should be the lingua franca. This is the language everyone has in common!

[quote=komita;116720]please piss off with multicultural, democratic bullshit. Leave our country and people alone we don't want your western democracy and multicultural macedonia. Tell me in what country in the world does a majority of people learn and teach the language of a minority that hardly consists 20% of the population, let me help you with the answer none.
We want a macedonian macedonia where the majority should be respected and if they don't like they can leave.[/quote]

...absolutely!

[QUOTE=nitanee;116704]Hello all, I'm American but have lived here in Skopje for the past 4/5 years and have come to consider this country my second home. But on topic:

I think the problem between Albanians and Macedonians is a very serious one. To be honest, I foresee big trouble in the future for this country based on the way things are at the moment. The school issue is the most important, IMO. The current system is very close to a system of segregation and I think it is very dangerous. Ideally, Albanians and Macedonians should attend the same schools and interact. Albanians should be fluent in Macedonian; likewise, it wouldn't hurt to teach Macedonian kids the basics of Albanian. A tolerant and multicultural Macedonia must be created, but I don't think this is happening at the moment and the consequences can be very grave, as other Balkan countries can attest. You guys have only been independent for ~20 years and yet you have done as much as any of the current Balkan countries; I think your future will be glorious but only if you do things right.[/QUOTE]
Hi Nitanee,
Welcome and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you are certainly entitled to have your thoughts. I see no problem learning Albanian or Greek or Turkish. I think English is far more useful than any of them. You might be living somewhere near an ethnic Albanian populated area and it may make you feel that they are more populous than reality would dictate if you travelled throughout all of Macedonia.

Many of us believe in a concept whereby Macedonia is the homeland for Macedonians. This includes rights for minorities but certainly no advantages for minorities particularly where they might impinge on the ability for all Macedonian citizens to live and prosper in this "homeland".

Can I ask you whether you have an intimate knowledge of the framework agreement? If you do, can you please advise how this can achieve an enduring benefit for the majority of Macedonians? My experiences in life tell me that something of disproportionate benefit to one party always ends up with a disgruntled other party. In this case, the majority (Macedonians) have sacrificed their sovereignty for a minority (ethnic Albanians) due to external pressures (USA, NATO & EU). I see this as unsustainable and am positive the pendulum is yet to reach equilibrium on this matter.