On the occasion of the European Day of Languages, the Director of the Inspectorate for the Use of Languages held a speech at the round table: European concept of linguistic diversity in today’s reality-The situation and challenges in the Republic of North Macedonia, organized by Language Application Agency.
The Republic of North Macedonia, as a country with citizens of cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity, creates and implements policies that develop the values of unity and inter-ethnic trust. The implemented policies are a reaction to the real needs or problems of the citizens within our society. Thus, the interventions in the language policy in the Republic of North Macedonia address the needs of diversity and solve injustices within the society. The Albanian language in this country has been officially used in the distant past, although its official status is regulated by the Ohrid Framework Agreement and Amendment 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia in 2001. In order to realize one of the key postulates of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, namely implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages, the Inspectorate for the Use of Languages was established.
The Inspectorate for the Use of Languages plays a key role in protecting, promoting, affirming, and supporting the use of the Albanian language, but also all other languages of the citizens living in our country, in order to guarantee inter-ethnic tolerance and stronger social cohesion of all communities in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Language is closely related to the identity of a people, it contains the code of its ancestors, it reflects its worldview in the past and today. The state should ensure that everyone is equal before the legal system and has equal access to opportunities.
The policies of the Republic of North Macedonia aim at protecting linguistic diversity as well as promoting the knowledge of languages as a national feature for better social and economic integration of the citizens and the possibility for easier employment and integration in the society.
Guaranteeing the opportunity for every citizen to address the institutions of the state and get answers in his mother tongue points to the fundamental value when it comes to languages, and that is multilingualism.
Let us not allow the use of languages to be subject for division, but the implementation of multilingualism shall be a policy for a better life for all citizens of this country.
