Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader Ali Ahmeti has extended his greetings on the Ilinden holiday, saying that the country is moving away from the principles of equality, respect and coexistence embodied in the ideals of the Krusevo Manifesto.

In his message, Ahmeti described the Ohrid Peace Agreement as the modern continuation of the spirit of the Krusevo Manifesto, but claimed that constant attempts are being made to weaken it.

According to him, the direction the country is taking is a cause for concern because of the actions of the current government, including attacks on the official use of the Albanian language and the abolition of mechanisms designed to ensure fair and adequate representation.

Ali Ahmeti’s full message on the occasion of Ilinden:

August 2 reminds us of one of the noblest ideals in our shared history: freedom cannot be built on the superiority of one group over another, but only on respect, equality and coexistence. The spirit of Krusevo issued a call to build a state in which Albanians, Macedonians and all communities share responsibility and the same destiny.

Unfortunately, more than a century later, we are not moving closer to this ideal, but increasingly farther away from it. Partnership is being replaced by a return to a mindset of domination, while exclusion is deepening instead of inclusiveness. Albanians are being pushed to the margins in state institutions, public administration, diplomacy, security, justice, education, culture, healthcare and the economy, as well as in the decision-making processes that determine the future of the state.

The Ohrid Peace Agreement, which represents the modern continuation of the spirit of the Krusevo Manifesto, is also facing relentless attempts to diminish it.

The country’s direction is being accompanied by alarming signs, such as attacks on the official use of Albanian, the abolition of the mechanism that ensured fair and adequate representation, attacks on and the weakening of the mechanism protecting against majoritarian domination, disregard for the reality reflected in the population census, selective justice and the promotion of a monoethnic model of the state.

Even more concerning is the fact that the implementation of these policies is being made possible with the support of certain Albanian representatives. Instead of safeguarding the dignity and will of the citizens they claim to represent, they have chosen to submit to the government. They cannot represent the voice of equality without the legitimacy of the people and the courage needed to defend the national interest.

Despite this, the course chosen by Albanians remains unchanged. Our choice is a shared, unitary, democratic and European North Macedonia, in which no one is treated as less worthy than anyone else and the state belongs equally to all citizens. Only this path leads toward a just state, firmly established within NATO and integrated into the European Union.

On this symbolically significant day, we must not forget that the future cannot be built through fear, exclusion or division. It is built when we regard the country not as the property of one group or another, but as a shared homeland. A strong state and a secure future for all can be built only on equality, mutual respect and sincere partnership.

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