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Macedonian President Describes Decision to Expel Russian Diplomat as 'Hasty'

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov considers the decision of the country's Foreign Ministry to expel a Russian diplomat over the Skripal case "hasty," the president's office said Tuesday.
Sputnik

"Given that the decisions to expel Russian diplomats are not an expression of a unified position of all EU member states, but are decisions of individual member states, the Macedonian president believes that the decision of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry is hasty," the office said in a statement.

The statement was made in wake of the March 26 decision by Macedonia's Foreign Ministry to expel a Russian diplomat in connection with Moscow's alleged involvement in the nerve agent attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom.

At the same time, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev expressed hope, as quoted by the Macedonian Information Agency, that the expulsion would not affect Skopje's relations with Moscow.

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Earlier this week, over 25 countries, including the United States and EU member states, decided to expel Russian diplomats over Moscow's alleged involvement in the attack on former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK city of Salisbury on March 4.

The move followed London's statement that Moscow was "highly likely" behind the attack on Skripal. According to the UK side, the Skripals were exposed to the A234 nerve agent, allegedly related to the Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union.

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Moscow has rejected all the accusations, and said it would respond "adequately" to the expulsion of its diplomatic staff.

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