MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2020) Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called accusations of Russian interference in recent elections in North Macedonia "absurd" during a press briefing on Thursday.
"It was hard not to notice a series of widely disseminated video messages containing high-ranking Western politicians, including heads of government and ministers, during the election campaign in North Macedonia. They urged North Macedonian voters to vote for one party or another openly and persistently. Against the background of this foreign interference in the affairs of a sovereign state, the absolutely groundless speculation about the presence of a certain Russian hand, which traces across the world, looks completely absurd," Zakharova said.
The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added that the accusations Russia faces constitute a double standard given the efforts of Western leaders to influence the vote.
"The suspicion and accusations levied at Russia are routinely justified by 'highly likely' reasoning which is unclear and purposely vague, while direct Western pressure on the citizens of North Macedonia is presented as something legitimate, fitting in with the notorious democratic canon, and so on," Zakharova remarked.
In December, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Financial Times newspaper that he was concerned over Russia's alleged interference in the Western Balkans.
North Macedonian citizens went to the polls on July 15, with former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's Social Democratic Union party winning 46 of the parliament's 120 seats. This result gives Zaev the opportunity to form a parliamentary majority as part of a coalition.
Zaev, whose resignation in January over stalled EU accession talks paved the way for elections that were initially scheduled to take place in April, campaigned once again for joining the European Union.
In late March, Brussels gave its approval to begin negotiations with Skopje over North Macedonia's entry to the bloc.
