English
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted angrilly after Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski visited Pustec, an ethnic Macedonian municipality in Albania. Rama used slurs aimed at Macedonians, condemning the fact that the Macedonian anthem was played, but not the Albanian anthem as well.
The Albanian Foreign Ministry also reacted, calling it a serious omission and violation of the written and unwritten rules of curtesy and protocole.
Rama is increasing his rhetoric against Macedonia, after he declared several ethnic Albanian politicians from the VLEN coalition as unwanted in Albania, for expressing support for the protests against him. The moves are believed to be attempts to help politically the DUI party, with which Rama is aligned, but which has been relegated to opposition in the past two years by VLEN.
Macedonians in the poor municipality of Pustec are facing pressure from Bulgaria, assisted by Albania, to adopt Bulgarian national identity, after they were abandoned by the Zaev regime. After the end of the regime, which at one point imprisoned the Mayor of Pustec Edmond Temelko, the new Government is once again establishing cultural ties to the Macedonians in the region.