Scandal in Pustec/ Protocol violated with the Albanian national anthem at the event where the Macedonian Prime Minister was also present

2026-08-20 21:04:09Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Scandal in Pustec/ Protocol violated with the Albanian national anthem at the
Mickoski in Pustec

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristian Mickoski, participated today in the Macedonian folklore festival in Pustec.

Mickoski stated that the government's obligation is to create stronger institutional ties with the Macedonians in Lesser Prespa.

"But I also want to say something very clearly. Macedonians outside the borders of Macedonia should not be a topic only during holidays and festivals. Taking care of their language, culture and ties to the homeland should be a sustainable state policy. Politicians come and go, governments change and mandates end. But the state must have continuity in issues that are bigger than one government and one generation. Therefore, our obligation is to create stronger institutional ties with Macedonians in Lesser Prespa, greater support for cultural associations, more books, opportunities for learning and cultivating the Macedonian language, more exchanges of students and young people and many more opportunities for the young people of this area to get to know the homeland, while the young people from the homeland get to know Lesser Prespa," said Miskoski.

During the ceremony held on the territory of Albania, the national anthem of North Macedonia was played, while the Albanian national anthem was not heard.

After the artistic activity, the mayor of Pustec, Pali Kolevski, reacted to the performance at the opening of the activity, only of the Macedonian anthem and not the Albanian one.

Kolevski said that he also requested that the Albanian anthem be played, and that even the Prime Minister of North Macedonia did not receive this well.

"To be honest, before this activity took place, I asked the organizers, specifically the president of the VMRO Albania association. I asked for the official program where they told me that there are traditional Macedonian songs and dances and it will open with the Macedonian anthem. I asked that when the Macedonian anthem is played, the Albanian anthem must also be played because it is in every protocol, in every official reception or opening of official ceremonies. It must also be the national anthem because we are Albanian citizens, we live here and the anthem must be respected. I really apologize, even though it is not my fault because I was not the organizer as the municipality of Pustec, as the organizer of this activity. We were invited to this concert, however, I apologize. Even the Macedonian prime minister did not take this well. We took the three flags from the municipality as a symbol of friendship between the two countries that aspire to join the EU. I spoke with the Macedonian prime minister, he was very worried at that moment because I was also "I felt very bad and I grasped it as a situation. But there was a moment when I couldn't react at all," said Kolevski.


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