Russian Foreign Ministry: Albanian Terrorists Deliberately Provoke New Outburst Of Violence In Macedonia

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko made a statement Friday saying that a new outburst of violence in Macedonia is being purposefully provoked by Albanian terrorists and that it is time to act decisively. According to his gauge, terrorists attempt to provoke a large-scale armed conflict in Macedonia and make events in the country develop according to the Kosovo scenario. Moscow thinks that the Macedonian authorities and the international community should not leave such terrorists' tricks unpunished. Moscow keeps stating that an end should be put to Albanian terrorists' actions, up to use of force. Therefore Russia will be sympathetic about any measures that the Macedonian government will consider it necessary to take in order to do away with Albanian extremist groupings, stressed the Russian diplomat. However, he noted that the new aggravation of the situation was also a result of an insufficiently tough international reaction to Albanian extremists' attempts to spread their terrorist activity onto Macedonia. It is evident that high international officials' visits to Skopje, talks on interethnic accord, and attempts to persuade the Albanian community's leaders are not enough, stressed the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman.