Skopje, 16 November 2023 (MIA) – Foreign Affairs Minister Bujar Osmani said Thursday the extradition of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is a question for the judicial bodies, but he said he believes the former PM should be in North Macedonia and face justice in the country, because it isn’t in the interest of any country to have a prime minister living in exile.

“The question of the extradition of the former Prime Minister is not a question of foreign policy, but a question for the judicial bodies and the justice ministries which are communicating over the issue. I remain of the position that the former Prime Minister should be in North Macedonia and face justice here, because it isn’t in the interest of any country to have a prime minister living in exile,” said Osmani in answer to a journalist’s question at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó.

At the press conference, Hungarian FM Szijjártó said Hungary’s MFA cannot interfere in the work of the country’s judiciary.

“This isn’t a foreign policy issue. We cannot interfere in judicial proceedings and that’s why we didn’t discuss this concrete issue at today’s meeting,” said Szijjártó.

Former Prime Minister Gruevski was granted asylum by Hungary in November 2018 after being sentenced to two years in prison for corruption in the “Tank” case. He has been charged in several other cases. The Macedonian authorities issued an international warrant for him.

Photo: MIA