Russia blames outside interference for Macedonian parliament violence
Russia has expressed its deep concern over the violence in the Macedonian parliament, blaming the opposition’s "foreign patrons" for the Thursday attack.
"Such fast and coordinated reaction is an indisputable proof that what's happened (in Skopje) had been planned in advance and had an unofficial blessing of foreign patrons of the Macedonian opposition,” Alexei Zaitsev from the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Zaitsev also stressed that “a gross interference into internal affairs of this country" was once again the main reason of the current Macedonian crisis.
He also stressed the importance of an internal political dialogue, urging foreign countries not to interfere.
"Under the current circumstances an adequate solution could be found only through the internal Macedonian dialogue within the legal framework and the constitution.”
“It is necessary to cease any political pressure and let responsible political forces in the Republic of Macedonia to determine the future political development of the country," Zaitsev added.
On Thursday, nationalist demonstrators invaded Macedonia's parliament and assaulted the leader of the Social Democrats after an alliance of his party and ethnic Albanian parties voted to elect an Albanian as parliament speaker.
Nearly 200 protesters, some of them masked, stormed the parliament after Talat Xhaferi was elected as parliament speaker and left Social Democratic leader Zoran Zaev with blood trickling from one side of his forehead.
According to witnesses, police forces entered the parliament after the clashes broke out but did not immediately seek to repress the demonstrators.
The violence reportedly left eight people, including an ethnic Albanian lawmaker, wounded.
President Gjorge Ivanov invited leaders of all political parties for talks in his office on Friday.
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