site.btaNorth Macedonia’s President Meets with Representatives of Macedonian Alliance for European Integration

The results of the population census in Albania were among the topics discussed at the meeting of President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova with representatives of the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration party, registered in Albania.

The representatives of the Macedonian minority in Albania do not recognize the results of the census because of the reduced number of Albanian citizens identifying as Macedonians and the 7,057 Bulgarians registered in the census.

Siljanovska-Davkova was informed about the party's activities aimed at strengthening and improving the situation of the Macedonian national minority in the Republic of Albania, according to the office of the President of North Macedonia, and she expressed support for the efforts of the representatives of the Macedonian national minority to strengthen their rights and called for unity and united action in working to improve their situation.

On July 20 in Ohrid, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timco Mucunski and President Siljanovska-Davkova also held a meeting with representatives of the associations of Macedonians in Albania, where they discussed the situation of Macedonians in Albanian society, the possibilities for improving it, and ways the country can contribute to addressing the challenges they face.

A statement about the meeting from North Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry said that the results of the latest population census in Albania "do not adequately reflect the real number of ethnic Macedonians in the country (Albania)", and North Macedonia "will take all necessary steps to overcome this situation, as well as adequately protect the rights of Macedonians in Albania".