Republic of Macedonia–Serbia relations

Media reports and (FYROM) Macedonian officials say the entire staff of the Serbian Embassy in Macedonia's capital, Skopje, has been withdrawn for urgent consultations in Belgrade.

Serbia has withdrawn all of its embassy staff in Skopje. There is currently no employee in the building, according to BGNES.

Serbia unexpectedly withdrew all its diplomatic staff from Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday.

The Ambassador to Macedonia, Dusanka Divjak Tomic, on Sunday told Beta news agency that she could not comment on the reasons, referring queries to the Foreign Ministry in Belgrade for answers.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic was not available to BIRN on Monday, however.

Serbia's ambassador to Macedonia "had a conversation" at the Macedonian MFA regarding the presence of a Serbian intelligence officer in the country's Assembly.

Beta reported this on Monday.

BELGRADE - Macedonia's name, a source of friction with neighboring Greece, is now souring relations with Serbia, VOA reports.

Macedonia's foreign ministry said Serbia should avoid calling it by the "offensive" name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM, which Greece favors.

Macedonia: Archbishop Jovan released on parole

SKOPJE -- Head of the Orthodox Diocese of Ohrid Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski has been released on parole.

The Court of Appeal in Skopje rejected the appeal by the public prosecutor, who wanted Vraniskovski to continue serving his sentence.

SKOPJE - Head of the Christian Orthodox Diocese of Ohrid Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski has been released on parole after the Court of Appeal in Skopje rejected the appeal by the public prosecutor, who wanted Vraniskovski to continue serving his sentence.

The court decision to release Vraniskovski is valid until March 23, 2017, according to the Macedonian news agency MIA.

Macedonia: Bishop kept in jail despite deal to release him

SKOPJE -- The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Skopje has filed a complaint against a decision to release Bishop of Ohrid Jovan, thus keeping him in jail.

Previously, a court decided that Bishop Jovan should be granted conditional release, and set free on January 19.

Archbishop to be released after Russian mediation

SKOPJE -- A court in Skopje has ruled that the head of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, Jovan Vraniskovski, will be granted conditional release on January 19.

SKOPJE, MOSCOW - The criminal court in Skopje has ruled that the head of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, Jovan Vraniskovski, be granted conditional release on January 19, while the canonically unrecognised Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) expects a dialogue with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) on its status to begin afterwards, with mediation from the Russian Orthodox Church (RPC).