BANJA LUKA (Republika Srpska (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) ANJA LUKA (Republika Srpska, BANJA LUKA (Republika Srpska (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) osnia and Herzegovina), September 21 (Sputnik) - Russia does not campaign for any option of voting at the upcoming referendum in Macedonia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.
"The situation is dubious in Macedonia after the signing of the Prespa agreement, whose legitimacy is questioned by many Macedonian political forces. A referendum is coming, I invite you to watch in the media, social networks, on the internet, what Russia says about this - we do not say anything that could be interpreted as campaigning for that or another option of voting," Lavrov said at a news conference with Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.
The Russian foreign minister also drew attention to the fact that a number of prominent western politicians had visited Macedonia recently.
"This is the leadership of major European countries, the representatives of the US leadership," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, western politicians do not hesitate in their public statements to openly campaign for the Prespa agreement.
"If it is not an act of interference in internal affairs then I cannot even say what should be called 'interference,'" Lavrov stressed.
On June 17, the Greek and Macedonian foreign ministers signed an agreement on renaming the former Yugoslav Republic to the Republic of North Macedonia after a decades-long dispute.
A referendum on the deal, reached in June, will be held on September 30. If the name change is approved, the country will be able to seek NATO and EU membership.
