Ljupco Nikolovski

Efforts to pass a long-awaited law in North Macedonia on the prosecution before the Sunday deadline expires continued on Friday, after a tense day in parliament saw the main ruling Social Democrats frustrated by the conduct of their junior partners in the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.

As speculation grows in North Macedonia about possible early elections as early as spring next year, the main ruling Social Democrats, SDSM, and the main right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party, insist their recently launched campaigns across the country are just part of their routine activities.

North Macedonia's Prime Minister and leader of its ruling Social Democratic Party, SDSM, Zoran Zaev, on Sunday said a promised "clean-up" launched after lower than expected results in recent presidential polls would not go without a mass cull of party officials - and will soon include ministers.

Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic and Macedonian Agriculture Minister Ljupco Nikolovski will meet in Skoplje on Wednesday to discuss how to resolve an ongoing row over Serbian flour imports, the trade ministry in Belgrade confirmed to BIRN.

Previously Serbia had said it would impose counter-measures on Macedonia after Skopje adopted new procedures for imports of Serbian flour.

SARAJEVO - Ministers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia on Monday agreed a set of conclusions following Croatian measures affecting agricultural imports from third countries and signed a joint letter they sent to the EC.

The opposition VMRO DPMNE party has begun what appears to be a campaign of no-confidence motions in parliament, although they are not likely to succeed, as the Social Democrats and their ruling coalition partners hold a small but solid majority among the 120 MPs.

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro issued an ultimatum to Croatia on Monday, demanding that it revokes its decision to raise fees on imports of fruit and vegetables in one week, or face counter-measures.

Zoran Zaev revealed the composition of his cabinet late Sunday, which parliament is expected to approved this week. Speaker of Parliament Talat Xhaferi has set the date for the session to start on Tuesday.

The key posts are to be shared between Zaev's Social Democratic Party, SDSM, and Macedonia's main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.