Macedonia to expel one Russian diplomat over nerve gas attack

SKOPJE - 26 March 2018: Macedonia said on Monday it would expel a Russian diplomat from the country over the poisoning in Britain of a Russian former double agent that the British government has blamed on Moscow.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the decision was taken in consultation with "our allies and partners, the EU and NATO", and in solidarity with Britain.

Macedonian membership of NATO and the EU is being blocked by Greece because of a decades-long dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name.

After the announcement, the Russian embassy in Macedonia tweeted: "This exceptionally unfriendly step that has no justification has no precedent in Russian-Macedonian relations. The full responsibility for the consequences lies entirely with the Macedonian side."