Skopje, 26 June 2022 (MIA) – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani responded to accusations by Vice President of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, Aleksandar Nikolovski, who told Sitel TV on Saturday it seemed to him that Osmani’s policy was more in the interest of Albania than North Macedonia. On Sunday, Osmani posted on Facebook that “by throwing sticks and stones at Albanians as if they were enemies of this country, an attempt is made to create an ethnic gap on strategic issues, in order to weaken the position of the state, and thus get political advantage for the opposition.” According to Osmani, such statements not only cross the red lines of decency, but without the slightest bit of responsibility “attack the overall state position and the success of the entire political spectrum in uniting over strategic issues.” “All citizens, whether Macedonians, Albanians, Roma, Turks, Serbs, Vlachs or Bosniaks, all citizens are united in defending the state interests, and the national interests of our fellow citizens Macedonians. One of the crucial foundations on which our steadfastness in the negotiations with Bulgaria rests, as well as in presenting our position in the EU and with the member states, is precisely the unity of the entire political, ethnic, cultural and social spectrum in the country,” said Osmani. “I am aware,” Osmani’s post continues, “that the struggle for political points is tough and unpleasant – we are politicians and we are fighting to win the sympathy of our voters, but to allow oneself to attack and try to threaten the key state pillar on which the steadfastness of our positions rests, it speaks not only of irresponsibility but of a kind of pathology in the essence of which lies a deep-rooted albanophobia.” Osmani asks just how greedy one has to be, and neither respect nor love one’s country, to attack it vital strength – the successful multiethnic unity in strategic interests. “The intention of these theses is clear, which, I hope, are not VMRO-DPMNE’s positions. By throwing sticks and stones at Albanians as if they were enemies of this country, an attempt is made to create an ethnic gap on strategic issues, in order to weaken the position of the state, and thus get political advantage for the opposition. “Our task is to show it, to point it out loud and clear, and thus thwart it. I assure you that they won’t succeed: we’ll protect the national interests of our fellow citizens Macedonians, we’ll preserve the Macedonian language and the distinctiveness of the Macedonian culture and dignity, all the while providing a European future for the country and all its citizens,” Osmani said. In an interview with Sitel TV on Saturday, VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Nikolovski said that the policy pursued by Osmani in terms of talks with Bulgaria to lift the veto and unblock European integration seemed to him to be more in the interest of Albania than North Macedonia.