Before the recognition, the President Branko Crvenkovski said "The Republic of Macedonia will decide its view when we deem it most appropriate for our interests. [The Republic of Macedonia] would follow the position of NATO and the European Union on Kosovo, but nations in the two organisations have to yet to assume a common stance."[8][9] The Democratic Party of Albanians left the government coalition on 13 March 2008 after it failed to meet their six demands, recognising Kosovo's independence being one of them. However, it returned on 24 March 2008 after demanding the recognition of Kosovo.[10] On 27 March 2008, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Antonio Milošoski issued the following statement: "In welcoming the constructive position of the Republic of Macedonia concerning Kosovo, the Commission on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament has expressed concern because of delay in the technical demarcation of the Republic of Macedonia-Kosovo borderline and has asked that this issue be solved in accordance with the Ahtisaari proposal."[11] This reiterated North Macedonia's support for the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo, which was endorsed by the foreign affairs ministry a year earlier, on 30 March 2007.[12] On 10 July, Foreign Ministry spokesman Petar Culev announced that North Macedonia will accept new Kosovan passports.[13] Ali Ahmeti, leader of the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration party, said North Macedonia would recognise Kosovo after problems over the border demarcation were resolved.[14] (The Democratic Union for Integration is a member of the governing coalition; however, Ahmeti has no role as minister in the government.)