Nikola Gruevski has submitted an asylum request to the competent Hungarian authority. The former prime minister of Macedonia has made a declaration of his intention to submit a request for refugee status in Hungary.

Given that he was prime minister of his country for ten years, for security reasons the Hungarian authorities have allowed Mr. Gruevski to have his asylum request submitted and heard at the headquarters of the Immigration and Asylum Office in Budapest. The Immigration and Asylum Office will conduct the asylum assessment procedure in accordance with both Hungarian and international law.

Macedonia is a strategic partner and an important ally of Hungary. Good cooperation between the two countries is an important cornerstone for the development of the Balkans region and the security of Europe. The Macedonian government of the day is a partner of Hungary in interstate relations, and therefore we in no way wish to intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, and we consider the assessment of the former Macedonian prime minister’s asylum request to be solely a legal issue.

In accordance with Hungarian law, the Hungarian authorities shall not provide further information relating to the details of the asylum procedure prior to completion of that procedure.

(Prime Minister’s Office)