The chairperson of the biggest opposition party in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, said that the government had unnecessarily “violated the friendship with Serbia when it voted in UNESCO that Serbian churches are handed over to Kosovo”.

“We have recognized Kosovo and this process is done. However, Macedonia had to be very careful when it voted on issue that is not political, but religious and which is specifically sensitive for friendly Serbian nation,” said Zaev.

He reminded on problems in Macedonia between the Serbs and Albanians with regard to erection of the monument to Tsar Dušan Nemanjić in Skopje and assessed that this was caused due to ‘quasi patriotic policy’ of the leadership of VMRO DPMNE of the former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, and added that relations between both states have to be improved, as well as with other neighboring states.

“This has to be the first step of the Macedonian foreign policy. Neighboring states have to be first friends of Macedonia, if we want Europe to see us as a friend,” replied Zaev when asked what would be the foreign policy led by him if he comes to power, agencies reported.