The Albanian Language is Now Official in Macedonia

The Albanian language is now official throughout Macedonia, the parliament in Skopje decided. The law was passed with 69 votes in favor of VMRO-DPMNE's deputies.

They did not take part in the work of the Assembly as a protest against the arrest of five of their colleagues and other citizens for involvement in the incidents in parliament on April 27 last year after Albanian Talat Xhaferi was elected chairman of the Assembly.

The law provides for all official bodies in the Republic of Macedonia, central institutions, state enterprises, agencies, directorates, offices and organizations, committees, legal entities and other institutions to be the official language other than the Macedonian and its letter to be the language spoken by 20 percent of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, that is, the Albanian language.