Kosovo Party Planned in Macedonia

With Kosovo set to declare independence, ethnic Albanians in neighbouring Macedonia are organising a huge celebration to mark the occasion.

“It will most probably be held on February 17, when Kosovo’s independence is expected to be declared”, one of the organizers, Artan Grubi, President of a non-governmental organisation, “Wake Up”, told Balkan Insight Wednesday.

“We plan to start with children’s music, then we will shift to folk songs and at the end we plan some pop artists,” Grubi says.

Skopje's municipality of Cair, a district with a large ethnic Albanian population, is backing the event.

The organisers hope to gather huge crowds in Skopje’s old bazaar, where the event will be held in front of a monument dedicated to the Albanian historical hero, Skenderbeg.

It's not clear whether members from both of Macedonia's main ethnic Albanian parties will attend.

Rivalries between the two are tense, with the Democratic Party of Albanians currently part of the ruling coalition, and the Democratic Union for Integration in opposition.

Cair's Mayor, Izet Mexhiti, hails from the opposition ranks.

Ethnic Albanians make up about a quarter of Macedonia ’s 2.1 million population.