MFA and MoD: North Macedonia makes decisions independently, stands behind Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Skopje, 3 August 2022 (MIA) – The Republic of North Macedonia is a sovereign state that makes decisions independently, guided by the principles of respect for international law, the UN Charter, the OSCE principles and commitments in the protection of the European security architecture and global stability, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense said in a joint statement in response to the statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Maria Zakharova.
“North Macedonia condemned from the very beginning the military intervention in Ukraine, and stood in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, and above all in support of peace, human rights and the rule-based international order. Namely, so far, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted several decisions on military and technical assistance to help Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity which is threatened by the military intervention,” reads the statement.
The Republic of North Macedonia, the statement adds, as a member of the most powerful military-political alliance – the NATO Alliance, stands firmly behind the position and determination of the Alliance to be a guarantor of the peace and security of its member countries and protect the values, freedom and security of current and future generations.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Russia believes the decision of authorities in North Macedonia to donate tanks T-72 to Ukraine is a big mistake.
Although the equipment is outdated, Zakharova said, the donation provides support “for continuation of the criminal activities of the Kiev regime.”
“Despite ‘the harmless’ donation of outdated equipment, as claimed by the northmacedonian authorities, the fact remains that the NATO-loyal Skopje is involved in arms delivery to Ukraine, which contributes to the continuation of the criminal activity of the Kiev regime against the civilian population in Donbas. People who preach democracy, freedom and human rights should know this. All of this leads to further deterioration of the situation. We believe this is a big mistake by the leadership of North Macedonia,” said Zakharova in a statement on the Russian MFA website.
