Joseph: North Macedonia cannot afford to be a third Balkan disaster, the Ohrid Agreement is "excellent and fair"

The expert on international relations and the Balkans, American professor Edward Joseph, in an interview for "Radio Free Europe", answering the question about the accusations from DUI about the initiative in the Constitutional Court on the Law on the use of languages, said that the Ohrid Framework Agreement is "excellent and fair" and that if there are doubts about its observance or implementation, the country should clarify them in consultation with allies.

"The only future that can preserve the Republic of North Macedonia as an independent sovereign state and the heritage of Macedonians and Albanians living here is through the maintenance and respect of this country as a unitary and sovereign state, and this is what the Framework Agreement of Ohrid. There are no territorial divisions in it, no cantons, no entities... We look at Bosnia and say that this is a disaster. We see Kosovo and the situation in the north and the refusal to recognize it, a disaster.

North Macedonia cannot afford to be another third Balkan disaster. The Ohrid Framework Agreement is an excellent and fair agreement and if you have disagreements about it, discuss them, consult your friends. Here are the US and the EU, consult with them and make fair solutions. I'm sure they can be done,” said Joseph.

Asked if he sees an effect from including officials from the country on the US "blacklist", Joseph says such steps are "necessary and correct", but also that it is disappointing that the US needs to take them. , after many years of transition that the citizens of the country went through.

"In a sense, it can be seen as a positive, constructive and understandable step. At the same time, it is disappointing that many years after the so-called transition we see the need for the US to take such steps, which on the other hand are necessary and correct. But let's go back to the first part. The best indicator that such a decision was correct by the USA, which unfortunately had to put former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi on the "black list", is that the DUI itself said that it respects the decision. The fact that DUI said this and emphasized the importance of relations with the USA, this is a positive step", said Joseph./Telegrafi/