Macedonia

Members of the armed group that surrendered after clashes with Macedonian police in Kumanovo over the weekend have admitted they had been involved in an earlier attack on a police station in the village of Gosince, Macedonian news agency MIA reported on Tuesday.

Bulgaria calls for a new dialogue between the government and the opposition in Macedonia to avoid further destabilization of the country.

In a statement released after a meeting of the Security Council established under Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Sofia also demands "responsible action" from the government to restore trust of citizens and institutions.

Serbia "doesn't interfere in internal affairs of others"

BELGRADE -- Serbia does not interfere in internal affairs of other countries, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has told the Belgrade-based daily Danas.

Lack of reform and political instability in Macedonia create a vacuum to the benefit of radical movements, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has said.

Mitov warned in an interview with public broadcaster BNT that any negative development in Macedonia could affect Bulgaria as well.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed alarm over the recent deadly clashes in Macedonia and called on the authorities in Skopje "to fully investigate the events in an objective and transparent manner".

Bulgaria can serve as an example of ethnic tolerance, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said on Monday in comments on last week's clashes in neighbouring Macedonia that left at least 22 people dead.

"Bulgaria needs calm, ethnic tolerance and peace," Borisov told bTV station.

Serbia in April warned Macedonia what is coming

The Military Security Agency (VBA) chief says Serbian security services had warned their Macedonian colleagues in April about a possible "attack" there.

EU is concerned about situation in Macedonia - commissioner

BRUSSELS -- EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Monday "reiterated that everyone in the European Union is concerned about the situation in Macedonia."

He repeated his call to political actors to work together to overcome the crisis.

"Lack of EU and NATO integration to blame for conflict"

SKOPJE, KUMANOVO -- NATO and the EU must realize Macedonia being "outside of EU integration" is the reason for the armed conflict in Kumanovo, Gjorge Ivanov has said.

NATO and the EU called for a return to calm in Macedonia May 10 after clashes between police and an armed group left at least 22 people dead, raising concerns about presumed ethnic-Albanian unrest in the Balkan region.