Biden Tells Macedonia PM to Fulfil Crisis Deal

Biden on Monday stepped up pressure on embattled Macedonian premier Gruevski to implement the agreement brokered by the EU and the US last summer.

Gruevski's surprise visit to Washington came as talks on the implementation of the agreement had practically come to a halt.

The visit also came just ahead of the January 15 deadline for Gruevski's resignation to make way for early elections in April, as envisaged in the deal.

"The Vice-President [Biden] and Prime Minister [Gruevski] agreed on the importance of continued implementation of the Przino [crisis] Agreement and taking the actions necessary to ensure credible elections," the White House said in a statement.

The White House also stated that the "Vice-President emphasized the United States' continued support for Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration".

Gruevski told Macedonian media that the talks focused on "the political agreement, the economy and the economic cooperation, Macedonian membership of NATO and the EU". He also insisted that the US remains Macedonia's firm partner.

While Gruevski was in Washington, the three MEPs involved in the Macedonian crisis talks - Ivo Vajgl, Eduard Kukan and Richard Howitt - arrived in Skopje to meet political leaders in a bid to ensure the agreement to end the country's political strife is fully implemented ahead of the April 24 elections.

On Tuesday they are also set to meet representatives of the State Electoral Commission and the freshly-formed Special Prosecution which is tasked with investigate the illegal surveillance allegations that sparked the political crisis.

The crisis revolves around opposition claims that covertly recorded tapes, which it has been releasing since February 2015, show...