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 North Macedonia |  Russia |
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| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of North Macedonia, Moscow | Embassy of Russia, Skopje |
North Macedonia–Russia relations (Macedonian: Македонско-руски односи,Russian:Российско-македонские отношения) are thebilateral relations between theRepublic of North Macedonia and theRussian Federation. North Macedonia has anembassy inMoscow and aconsulate inSaint Petersburg, while Russia has an embassy inSkopje and anhonorary consulate inOhrid.[1] The post ofchargé d'affaires of North Macedonia in Moscow is currently vacant,[2] while the Russianambassador in Skopje isSergey Bazdnikin [ru].[3] A Russianhonorary consulate was opened inBitola on 22 May 2002, but permission for it to operate was subsequently revoked by the North Macedonian government on 1 June 2022.[4]
Both countries have predominantlySlavic andOrthodox Christian populations and both officially use theCyrillic alphabet, but depending on the historical period, their bilateral relations shifted from cooperation to hostility. As of March 2022, North Macedonia is included in Russia'sUnfriendly Countries List.[1] The most contentious issues are: the country'sstance against the2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, theaccession of North Macedonia to NATO;[2] in 2020, thesupport of the UN againstRussian invasion of Ukraine, the support forsanctions against Russia and thelethal military aid sent to Ukraine.[3][4][5]
There were contacts between Russia and the territory of what is now North Macedonia, when the latter was under the harshOttoman rule. Motivated by the common Slavic and Orthodox Christian culture, some people from theregion of Macedonia moved to theRussian Empire, where theMacedonian Hussar Regiment was formed. This took place in 1759 in Ukraine, which was then ruled by the Russian Empire.
Also, some notable intellectuals and scholars from the region of Macedonia studied in the Russian Empire, such as:Konstantin Miladinov (1830 – 1862),Krste Misirkov (1874 – 1926) andDimitrija Čupovski (1878 – 1940). In 1902, some of them took part in the establishment of theMacedonian Scientific and Literary Society, which was based in the then capital of Russia,St. Petersburg. They published their newspaperMacedonian Voice that advocated the idea ofIndependent Macedonia. However, the Russian government did not support this idea.[5] Russia actively supported the liberation movements in neighbouring Ottoman-ruledGreece,Serbia,Montenegro andBulgaria, but it declined to do so in the region of Macedonia. Russia did not support theIlinden Uprising that took place in the region in 1903 and considered theMürzsteg reforms a better solution for the problems of the persecuted Christian subjects in Ottoman Macedonia. The purpose of the reforms was to procure greater rights for them, but also to maintain the integrity of theOttoman state, which was favourable for the Russian Empire at the moment, but which was threatened by theInternal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) that organized the said uprising. According to certain historians from North Macedonia, the Russian Empire held a hostile stance towards the IMRO and its idea forautonomy or independence of the region.[6]
In 1912, Russia was a prime mover in the establishment of theBalkan League. It was a military alliance of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria, who expelled the Ottomans from the region of Macedonia and then partitioned its territory among themselves. As a result of this, the territory of what is now North Macedonia fell under oppressiveSerbian rule, which continued under the Serbian-dominatedKingdom of Yugoslavia, formed after theFirst World War.
During the war, Russian troops arrived on the territory of what is now North Macedonia to support their Serbian allies (see:Macedonian front,Monastir offensive andBattle of the Crna Bend).
After the1917 October Revolution, somewhite Russian émigrés found refuge in the then Serbian-ruled part of Macedonia, a notable example being the biologistNikola Nezlobinski (1885 - 1942), known for establishing anatural museum in the city ofStruga.
Meanwhile, some IMRO activists, who fought for the idea of an independent andUnited Macedonia, such asTodor Aleksandrov,Pavel Shatev orDimitar Vlahov, tried to seek support from theSoviet Union (whereSoviet Russia was one of the constituent republics). Such ideas were presented in theMay Manifesto of 1924, however, this event was marred with controversies and this did not bring the desired results.
After the fall of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and theSecond World War, theSocialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia was established with theSocialist Republic of Macedonia as one of its constituent countries (a predecessor of modern North Macedonia). In the beginning, they maintained good relations with the Soviet Union based on the common communist ideology, but this ended with theTito-Stalin split in 1948. The split resulted inpurges and persecution of real or alleged supporters ofStalin and theUSSR throughout Yugoslavia. Notable individuals from Yugoslav Macedonia targeted during these purges were the aforementioned Pavel Shatev,Panko Brashnarov andPetre Piruze.
WhenKhrushchev came to power in the USSR, itsrelations with Yugoslaviaimproved, but substantial ideological differences remained and Yugoslavia joined theNon-Aligned Movement. USSR was one of the many countries that provided aid in the form of material and personnel after theSkopje earthquake, that struck the capital of Yugoslav Macedonia on July 26, 1963. On August 22 of the same year, Khrushchev visited Skopje personally.[6]
Russia recognized North Macedonia as an independent state on August 4, 1992, during presidentYeltsin's tenure, about one year after the then Republic of Macedonia's declaration of independence from theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[7] The Russian Federation by that move became the firstmajor power in the world to recognize the country. The event was also significant because Russia recognized the country by its then constitutional nameRepublic of Macedonia that was a subject of anaming dispute.[7][8][9] The establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two states took place on January 31, 1994.[7]
Over 40 agreements were signed by North Macedonia and Russia in the first 15 years of their bilateral relations,[7] among them the importantDeclaration of Friendship and Cooperation in 1998.[10]
However, since proclaiming its independence, North Macedonia is pursuing a consistent pro-Western policy. It joined the NATO programPartnership for Peace in 1995; a decade later, it became an officialEuropean Union candidate; and in 2020, it became a fullNATO member. But some analysts claim that the former prime ministerNikola Gruevski tried to flirt with Moscow,[11] at least during his late tenure.[12] These policy fluctuations are explained as North Macedonia's disillusionment with the West.[12] The European Union and NATO delayed North Macedonia's accession for too long[13] and they are perceived by someethnic Macedonians as positively biased towards theAlbanian minority in the country. North Macedonia has experienced ethnic tensions, where Russia claimed to be a protector of the ethnic Macedonian interests, whereas the West was perceived by some as favouring the Albanians.[14] But despite occasional fluctuations, North Macedonia's policy remains pro-Western. During Gruevski's tenure, his close associate, the then-president of North Macedonia,Gjorgje Ivanov, described the relations with Russia as friendly,[10] but even then they were ambiguous.
On March 27, 2014, North Macedonia approved theUnited Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 that condemned Russia'sannexation of Crimea.[15]
The bilateral relations dramatically worsened in the late 2010s, during the process of North Macedonia's accession to NATO. The former Russian ambassadorOleg Shcherbak [ru] warned thegovernment of North Macedonia that: "If it came to a conflict between Russia and NATO, you will have the role of a legitimate target".[16] The Defense Minister of North Macedonia at the time,Radmila Šekerinska, accused theRussian government of trying to interfere in North Macedonia's affairs,[17] while its prime ministerZoran Zaev was a target of the pro-KremlinprankstersVovan and Lexus.[18] In 2017, some media claimed that Russian spies and diplomats, together with their supporters fromSerbia, have been involved in an effort to spread propaganda and provoke discord in North Macedonia with a goal to stop the country from joining NATO and to pry it away from western influence.[11]
On April 2, 2018, North Macedonia expelled Russian diplomats over thepoisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.[19][20] On 18 May 2021, North Macedonia declared a Russian diplomatpersona non grata, with the official reasoning being a prior investigation into the behavior of said diplomat and violation of theVienna Convention. Days after, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia declared that that had been done in solidarity with Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.[citation needed]This was criticised by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which declared the act "hostile".[21] In retaliation, Russia expelled a Macedonian diplomat on 10 June 2021.[22]
On March 2, 2022, North Macedonia approved theUnited Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1 that condemned Russia'sinvasion of Ukraine. Five days later, North Macedonia was added to Russia'sUnfriendly Countries List for its support ofEU's sanctions against Russia.[23] In late March North Macedonia expelled five Russian diplomats, followed shortly after by another six.[24][25]On June 5, 2022, North Macedonia closed its airspace for Russia's foreign ministerSergei Lavrov, who planned a meeting in neighbouring Serbia.[26] Later, North Macedonia sent lethal military aid to Ukraine, consisting ofbattle tanks andmilitary aircraft.[27]
As of 2022, there are fewrussophile political parties in North Macedonia, but their influence and theirelection results are negligible:Edinstvena Makedonija, led by Janko Bačev;Levica, led byDimitar Apasiev;[7][8] andRodina.[9]
North Macedonia has provided substantial military assistance to Ukraine since Russia started the war.[28]
In September 2023 a further three Russian diplomats were expelled, making 14 in total since February 2022.[29]
In February 2025, North Macedonia shifted its stance on Ukraine, abstaining from a UkrainianUN General Assembly resolution that condemned Russian aggression and affirmed commitment to Ukrainian territorial integrity.[30] It also co-sponsored a rival U.S. resolution advocating for peace between Ukraine and Russia.[31]
In 2008, North Macedonia and Russia signed a mutual and conditionalvisa-waiver agreement[32] according to which, a visa was not required if the traveller possesses an original touristvoucher or an official letter of invitation, but if these conditions are not met, a visa is still required. Later, North Macedonia unilaterally lifted these special requirements, giving the Russians a real visa-free access to the country.[10] However, this friendly gesture was not met with reciprocity on the Russian side. For the citizens of North Macedonia, the agreement and its special requirements remained in force.[33] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began, North Macedonia ended this visa liberalization for the Russian citizens and went back to the 2008 agreement.[11]
Macedonian citizens now need a Russian eVisa to enter Russia[34] and Russian citizens need a visa to enter North Macedonia.[35]
The pharmaceutical company from North Macedonia,Alkaloid, has asubsidiary in Russia[12], while the Russian petroleum companyLukoil ownsgas stations in North Macedonia.[36] In March 2015, Russian engineering construction companyStroitransgaz announced plans to a build a gas pipeline across North Macedonia, which could eventually be used as part of a route to supply Europe with Russian gas viaTurkey.[37]
Stroitransgaz is owned byGennady Timchenko, an ally of PresidentVladimir Putin, who was among the first businessmen to be placed under sanctions by the United States in theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[37] A spokesman forStroitransgaz said the sanctions would not hamper the project in North Macedonia, which is not a member of theEuropean Union.[37]
The 96.6 km (60.0 mi)Negotino-Klečovce gas pipeline will cross North Macedonia from near the Greek border in the south up to the vicinity of the Serbian border in the north.[37] Stroitransgaz will build 61 km (38 mi) of the link by June 2016.[37]
Moscow plans to build an undersea pipeline to Turkey, a replacement for the cancelledSouth Stream project viaBulgaria.[37] The details of an onward route from Turkey through Greece have not been finalised.[37]
Stroitransgaz said it will carry out its work as part of the repayment of the outstanding debt between the formerSoviet Union and the formerYugoslavia, of whichNorth Macedonia was a member.[37] The cost of the entire project stands at $75.7 million.[37]
The project has added to tensions between theWest andRussia.[38] Following violentinterethnic clashes in the northern city of Kumanovo on 9 May 2015, RussianForeign MinisterSergei Lavrov accused the West of trying to incite an overthrow of thegovernment of North Macedonia in order to undermine the project.[38]
After a meeting between officials from North Macedonia and Russia in March 2016, it was announced that the government of North Macedonia is interested in increasing Russian tourism in the country. The government of North Macedonia is working to create good conditions for Russian tourists and in establishing regular airfare between the two countries.[39]
In 2021 Russia exported goods worth $154m to North Macedonia, primarily gas, with North Macedonia exporting $74m of goods in the same year, mainly medication.[40]
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see also:Foreign relations of Yugoslavia | ||
