Serbia has withdrawn the entire staff of its embassy in Macedonia, in response to “offensive actions” of Macedonia against Serbia.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declared to the press that the embassy staff was withdrawn after the Serbian government received several intelligence reports about “very offensive actions planned in Macedonia against Serbian interests.”
President Vučić, however, refused to further explain his decision, stating that “everything will be clearer” in the coming 10 days. Meanwhile, the Macedonian government still has not been officially informed about the reasons for the sudden withdrawal.
The staff of the Serbian embassy is Skopje is currently in Serbia and is consulting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić and President Vučíć.
According to several Russian news outlets, the Serbian decision is related to the proposal of the Macedonian government to vote in favor of Kosovo’s UNESCO membership, which is opposed by Serbia. In response to this claim, the Macedonian government responded that:
As regards the vote on Kosovo’s UNESCO membership, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia will observe the position of the majority of the EU member states.
