Osmani: Prime Minister Mickoski, unfortunately for you, you will never again elect the representatives of Albanians.

"When a Prime Minister of a state publicly questions the legitimacy of a minister to negotiate on behalf of the state - not because of his mandate, but because of his ethnic origin, this is not only an insult to that ethnic community. This is the most anti-state statement given by a Prime Minister in recent decades," reacted Bujar Osmani from the Democratic Union for Integration, while also listing several state successes during the time he, as an Albanian, led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"This is an attempt to redefine the state as an ethnic monopoly, contrary to the Constitution, contrary to political reality, and contrary to the very European idea of ​​multiethnic democracy towards which we aim."

If ministers of Albanian origin are not qualified to represent the state, then we are no longer talking about a common state.

I, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, have not negotiated on my own behalf, nor on behalf of an ethnic group.

I negotiated on behalf of the Republic of North Macedonia, with full mandate from the Parliament, and with unquestionable support from the state institutions – from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, the President of the state.

And since you want to belittle my role, here are some facts, so you can remember what this country has achieved through my work:

• Under my leadership, the Republic of North Macedonia assumed the OSCE Chairmanship at a time when the organization itself was facing its greatest institutional and political crisis. We saved the organization from paralysis, building consensus among 57 member states, in conditions of war in Europe and deep global divisions. This is not my saying, but the OSCE, the EU and the US have acknowledged it.

• We became the first country from the Western Balkans to establish a Strategic Dialogue with the US, thereby elevating our partnership to the highest level. I was officially accepted into the State Department, not as an Albanian, but as a minister of a sovereign state.

• North Macedonia became the host of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, due to the trust and credibility we built with international partners. The final round was held in Ohrid.

• The Prespa Dialogue Forum that we initiated became a reference point for political and diplomatic dialogue in the region, bringing together ministers, prime ministers, and special representatives from across the democratic world.

• In the negotiations with Bulgaria and throughout the European integration process, we managed to defend the Macedonian language – without footnotes, without explanations, with clear wording in the Negotiating Framework. This is a diplomatic victory, which no serious actor denies.

• In that process, the ethnic, cultural and historical Macedonian identity was continuously defended – not with words, but with concrete solutions, in texts, documents and obligations. Diplomats of ethnic Macedonian origin, with experience and authority, dominated, precisely so that there was no room for improvisation when it came to sensitive issues.

"And yes, I led the negotiations – because I was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of all citizens. But decisions were made jointly, and no step was taken without the knowledge and approval of the highest state institutions," Osmani writes.

According to Osmani, such statements by Mickoski are destroying the foundations of the state.

"Therefore, Prime Minister, when you emphasize someone's ethnicity as an obstacle to state action, you are not only insulting the person or the people to whom it belongs.

It destroys the very foundations of the state you claim to lead.

And finally, you constantly manifest your ugly disgust towards Albanians – you do not have any Albanian advisors, you do not have Albanians in your entourage during official visits, you threaten to “pull your ears”, you abolish the mechanisms for protection against majoritarianism, you reward with positions those who call us the most offensive words, deliberately creating a competitive situation as to who will prove themselves the most through the humiliation of Albanians and you created an environment where even your Albanian partners feel humiliated and divided.

But, unfortunately for you, you will never again elect the representatives of Albanians.

"The Albanians will choose them themselves," Osmani concludes his reaction.