MACEDONIA: LIBERATION OF THE MAYORS OF GOSTIVAR AND TETOVO. DECLARATION OF OLIVIER DUPUIS

Strasbourg, 8 February, 1999. The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Kiro Gligorov, has signed yesterday the amnesty law adopted by the Macedonian Parliament at the end of December, rendering the liberation of four political leaders of Albanian minority in Macedonia, Mr. Osmani, Mr. Demiri, Mr. Besheti and Mr. Dauti, possible. Recalling that the European Parliament has adopted by the overwhelming majority during its December plenary session an urgent resolution requesting the Macedonian authorities to confront the issue of imprisonment of the Mayors and Chairmen of Municipal Councils of Tetovo and Gostivar.

Declaration of Olivier Dupuis, Secretary General of the Transnational Radical Party and Member of European Parliament.

"The signing by President Gligorov of the amnesty law adopted some weeks ago by the Macedonain Parliament in favour of Mayors and political leaders of Albanian minority in Macedonia, Mr. Osmani, Mr. Demiri, Mr. Besheti and Mr. Dauti, is a good news obviously for the leaders of PDA and members of the Transnational Radical Party, but also for the whole Macedonian population, which therefore sees materialise the will expressed by the new governmental majority to confront pragmatically and without taboo the issue of inter-ethnic coexistence. The entire question is now whether the European Union will be able to show itself equally concrete in proceeding without delay to the reinforcement both qualitative and quantitative of its relations with the Republic of Macedonia, including making the Macedonian authorities know that a request for adhesion of Macedonia into the European Union could not be studied otherwise but with the most seriousness by the Union."

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