We hope our decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata will not affect the relations between North Macedonia and Russia, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Thursday.
The decision, he reiterated, was made as a result of the diplomat’s behavior, which is against the diplomatic status and rules. “After an in-depth investigation into the case, the diplomat was told the leave the country within 7 days according to the decision,” Osmani added.
Russia, he said, hasn’t announced any reciprocal measure although all countries have instruments and ways to take such measures.
“This decision has nothing to do with our relations with the Russian Federation, even though it was reached as we are showing solidarity with our allies in connection to some actions by Russia,” Minister Osmani stressed.
The public, he noted, is embroiled in a fake dilemma as to whether the country is siding with the United States or Russia. “The country had made the decision back in the early years of its independence with the 1993 Resolution in Parliament about NATO membership,” Osmani recalled.
After becoming a NATO member, according to the top diplomat, the country’s position on the international scene has been improved significantly and it has been strengthening its partnership with 29 other countries and respecting the principles of the alliance.
Earlier today, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia will take adequate measures to respond to the diplomat’s expulsion from North Macedonia.
On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry in a press release said it had declared a Russian diplomat an undesirable person in North Macedonia. Russian Ambassador Sergey Bazdnikin was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on May 14 to be handed over the note instructing the diplomat to leave the country within seven days.
Asked about the Foreign Ministry’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, FM Osmani said the country has joined world leaders in calling for de-escalation of tensions and condemning attacks on civilians. North Macedonia, he stressed, has been supporting international efforts to end the violence.
