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Ohrid Framework Agreement - The Second Decade
î Ohrid Framework Agreement -
The Second Decade
Ambassador Christopher Yvon
U.K. Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman, students, colleagues and friends!
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be able to speak to you all today. I
am delighted to be a participant in this commemoration of the Ohrid Framework
Agreement (OFA), a unique agreement that brought peace to a conflict-torn
Macedonia. The tragic events of 2001 undoubtedly touched upon many lives and
shaped their future and perspectives in so many ways. The political leaders of
that time, supported by the international community who desired to see
Macedonia succeed, found the leadership, courage and conviction to overcome
their differences.
The Ohrid Framework Agreement opened the door to stability and security
marking a clear path towards EU and NATO integration. It also brought about
opportunities, as we can see today at this wonderful university - a place of
learning, a place of tolerance and a place of hope. I commend the Universities
supporting this initiative for their valuable role in bringing us here to debate.
We can see how far Macedonia has come since the inception of the OFA.
Macedonia is, and remains, a candidate country for EU and NATO membership
and in more recent past obtained a key recommendation from the European
Commission for the opening of accession negotiations . I would see the pathway
towards EU membership – through the range of necessary reforms – as being
hand-in-hand with OFA progress. The two processes are mutually supportive and
provide parallel opportunities. That is why the OFA roadmap is so central to the
country’s future.
There is much of which to be proud. The agreement is firmly embedded in
the Constitution and Macedonia has achieved enormous successes over the past
decade.
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