Gjorge Ivanov

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told media on Tuesday that the unnamed Russian diplomat was expelled in solidarity with Britain over the Sergei Skripal poisoning, but also for domestic security reasons.

Dimitrov said the decision "was made after careful deliberation and analysis" and was "based on two elements".

The speaker of Macedonian parliament, Talat Xhaferi, has told BIRN's TV show Jeta ne Kosove'that if President Gjorge Ivanov again refuses to sign the new language law, after parliament voted for it for a second time, he will breach his constitutional rights.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias arrived in Skopje on Thursday evening for a landmark visit as talks between the two sides appear to be edging toward a resolution on the longstanding "Macedonia" name dispute, Ekathimerini writes.

Macedonian (FYROM) President Gjorge Ivanov has refused for a second time to sign legislation passed by the parliament to expand official use of the Albanian language, in a move that could set off a renewed political crisis in the small Balkan nation.

Macedonia's (FYROM) parliament has passed a law extending the official use of the Albanian language, despite protests from the right-wing opposition who say the decision will put the Balkan country's national unity in jeopardy.

Sixty-four lawmakers in the 120-member parliament voted to adopt the law on March 14, without a debate requested by the opposition.

Macedonian lawmakers approved a bill by which Albanian became the second official language in the country, Channel 5 announced. The vote was held today in the Macedonian Parliament. 64 MPs supported the bill.

This happened without a debate on amendments, with 64 votes in favor, and none against or abstained.

This legal act introduces the Albanian language as the second official language in the country.

Assembly Speaker Talat Xhaferi, from the Albanian DUI party, thus carried out his plan and rejected a debate on amendments.

The majority of citizens of the Republic of Macedonia support the efforts of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the government to resolve the name dispute with Greece. 63% of respondents support the government rate, only 11% were against and 26% are not sure. This is the data from the poll conducted by the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies in Ljubljana.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will begin his Balkan Tour on February 25 with a visit to Macedonia, and by March 1, he will have visited all six Western Balkan countries.

As Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov paid an official visit to Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reminded Macedonia that Ankara expected it to cooperate more in the fight against Erdogan's foes among supporters of the exiled cleric Fetullah Gulen.