Macedonian president calls expulsion of Russia diplomat hasty move

SKOPJE, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov Tuesday called in a press statement the government's decision to expel a Russian diplomat a hasty move.

The president's statement came one day after the government decided to expel a Russian diplomat in the wake of the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on the British soil, which Britain suspected Russia was behind despite Russia's denial.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev confirmed Tuesday the information given earlier by Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov regarding the decision on expelling a Russian diplomat was based on documented evidence and made in compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and national laws.

"All diplomats in Macedonia, across the globe are aware that they should respect the Vienna Convention and the national laws of the countries they are accredited to," Zaev said.

But President Ivanov said Macedonia should be restrained from hasty steps in foreign policy in a bid to prevent possible damages to Macedonia's strategic objectives.

"Taking into consideration that the decisions to expel Russian diplomats have not been harmonized among all EU member-states, the move by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hurried," the President's Office said on Tuesday.

Despite the expulsion decision, Prime Minister Zaev told a press conference that the decision should not disrupt the relations with Moscow.

The Russian embassy to Skopje, however, reacted by saying that it viewed the expulsion as a provocation and an unprecedented act in the Russian-Macedonian relations.

The decision sparked controversy in Macedonia.

Lawmakers of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE considered the government's decision as dangerous.

Some political experts here also voiced their objection against the decision, saying it was a hasty one, which could have consequences. Enditem