Zoran Zaev

Legal experts suspect that the charges raised against nine alleged participants in the April 27 violence in parliament are too mild and may be part of a plan to prevent them from ever standing trial for much more serious offences.

The prosecution charged the nine suspects with "participation in a violent crowd that prevented police officials from performing [their] duty".

BELGRADE - Serbia's friends do not act the way Social Democratic Union of Macedonia leader Zoran Zaev has been acting, says Serbian Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic.

"Serbs are the Macedonians' biggest and best friends, and Serbia's friends do not act the way Zaev has been acting," he told Kurir TV in response to Zaev's statement that Serbia had a nationalist leadership.

Zoran Zaev - Photo: AP

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said on Thursday that FYROM (Macedonia) will be "neutral" next time Pristina's bid to join UNESCO is put up for a vote.

Asked by TV Prva how Macedonia intends vote, Zaev's only response was: "Neutral."

The new speaker of Macedonia's parliament, Talat Xhaferi, on Thursday confirmed that he has sent a letter to President Gjorge Ivanov informing him that the Social Democrats command a majority in parliament - and so expect to be offered a mandate to form a government. The presidential cabinet has not yet confirmed receiving the notice.

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said on Thursday that Macedonia will be "neutral" next time Pristina's bid to join UNESCO is put up for a vote.

Asked by TV Prva how Macedonia intends to vote, Zaev's only response was: "Neutral."

Zoran Zaev's SDSM party has announced that Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov will receive a letter from the newly elected parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi.

The letter contains the demand to give Zaev the mandate to form a government.

Zoran Zaev - Photo: AP

Friends of Serbia do not behave the way SDSM leader Zoran Zaev has done, says First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

The FYROM (Macedonia) politician earlier on Tuesday said that Serbs and Macedonians are "brotherly people" but that "nationalist leadership of Aleksandar Vucic" is in power in Serbia.

Serbian government ministers have condemned the leader of Macedonia's main opposition Social Democratic Party, Zoran Zaev, for saying that the leadership of Serbia was nationalistic, accusing him of taking his orders from Albania.

Friends of Serbia do not behave the way SDSM leader Zoran Zaev has done, says First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

The Macedonian politician earlier on Tuesday said that Serbs and Macedonians are "brotherly people" but that "nationalist leadership of Aleksandar Vucic" is in power in Serbia.

In what sounded like a softened position from his past tone, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on Monday said the problems blocking the formation of a new government could be overcome if the new majority in parliament presented strong guarantees for the preservation of the country's unitary character.