Senior Russian President Vladimir Putin's advisers have recently stayed in Macedonia at a new nationalist party in Skopje this is seen as an effort to extend Russian influence to this Balkan country. But analysts think these efforts are pointless as the Macedonian population is largely determined for Euro-Atlantic integration, Voice of Ameria reports.
The Russian efforts for the spread of the influence in Macedonia do not seem to have sparked concerns here but have sparked curiosity about the way the Russian emissaries have chosen for co-workers in Skopje. Aleksandr Dugin, a philosopher and senior advisor to President Vladimir Putin stayed at new party a few days ago in Skopje, non influential party, which changed the name from the People's Movement - to "United Macedonia," according to Russian ruling party, "United Russia".Analysts estimate that the Russian efforts to spread the ideology are in vain, as the Macedonian people are determined for the country's Euro-Atlantic integration.
Mirce Adamchevski was a correspondent of the Macedonian press in the 1990s in Russia and a connoisseur of the developments there. He says that Dugin has been some years ago in Serbia and Montenegro to open the road of the Russian influence, but that does not find support in Macedonia, according to the analyst.
"The Russians forget that Macedonia is neither Montenegro nor Serbia, because in Macedonia the public has expressed more than ¾ for Euro-Atlantic integration, so they can not do what they did in Montenegro or are doing in Serbia," says Adamchevski.
Another analyst, Selim Ibrahimi, says that this depends on the government and political structures in Macedonia on what influence Russia's ideology might have on here.
"Macedonian nationalist political parties and a part of civil society have promoted Russian politics in Macedonia. Now it is up to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's government to resolve issues with neighboring countries and internal problems so as not to leave room for Russian politics to operate in Macedonia," Ibrahimi says.
Adamchevski says the Russians now found a Macedonian interlocutor, who is Janko Bachev, a person without any influence, as the analyst said, while earlier they had communication with Ivan Stoilkovic's Serbian party, "but Alexander Dugin needed a Macedonian ethnic subject, "the analyst says.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimi estimates that Russian engagements in the Balkans are aimed at countering US policies for a peaceful Balkans.
Russian councilors Dugin and Savin expressed a few days ago in Skopje that "Russia does not obstruct Macedonia nor does interfere in its choice if wants to become part of NATO, but that the West, according to them, is not a good option for Macedonia."