Trkanjec

The tension has resulted in an increasing number of warships and aircraft from non-belligerents wanting to get as close as possible to each other and see what the other is doing.

According to the latest Openness Index, which ranked the governments and parliaments in four countries from the Western Balkans - North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Government of North Macedonia was ranked first on the list, while the country's Parliament was ranked third, meta.mk reported.

The Russian foreign ministry has declared a Macedonian diplomat as persona non grata and expelled them from their role in the Macedonian embassy in Moscow and the country.

Olivera Chaushevska-Dimovska was the charge d'affaires of North Macedonia at the country's embassy.

The first headcount of citizens in North Macedonia for 20 years has now been completed and closed, with full results not expected until March 2022.

The country's largest statistical operation in two decades lasted 26 days, from 5 until 30 September.

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said he is ready to beg for a solution in Sofia, but is not prepared to sacrifice the Macedonian identity and language, adding that if the dialogue with Bulgaria is successful, talks may be held as early as 23 June.

"At a meeting with [Prime Minister] Zoran Zaev I emphasised that we value our bilateral partnership with North Macedonia and want to see EU accession talks as quickly as possible. We see a positive way forward and are pleased with the ongoing conversation by both Bulgaria and North Macedonia to move North Macedonia EU accession forward," tweeted US Ambassador Kate Byrnes.

The foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia voiced unanimous support on Saturday for North Macedonia and Albania to start EU membership talks, arguing that bilateral issues should not block the EU's enlargement into the Western Balkans.

North Macedonia has fulfilled all the democratic conditions to open EU accession talks, but it is constantly being "kicked" around, said President Zoran Milanovic on Thursday after Sofia criticised his statements about Bulgaria's policy on that EU membership aspirant.

Moscow has warned Bosnia and Herzegovina that getting closer to NATO membership would mean choosing a side in the current Russian confrontation with the West and an act of hostility to Russia, which would necessarily have consequences, the Russian embassy in Sarajevo has announced.