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Macedonia's Main Political Leaders In New Crisis Talks


Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski (center) arrives for fresh crisis talks among political leaders in Skopje on June 19.
Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski (center) arrives for fresh crisis talks among political leaders in Skopje on June 19.

The leaders of Macedonia's main political parties have resumed meeting in the country's capital, Skopje, for the first time since negotiations aimed ending a major political crisis collapsed in Brussels last week.

The political crisis, one of the most serious that Macedonia has faced since becoming independent in 1991, originates from opposition claims that the government illegally wiretapped 20,000 people.

The government denies the opposition's accusations.

Conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski met on June 19 with Social Democrat opposition leader Zoran Zaev and with the heads of two ethnic Albanian political parties.

Envoys from the European Union and the United States were also present.

The EU mission in Macedonia, which has helped broker the talks, said the party leaders agreed to continue talks at a June 29 meeting.

Based on reporting by AP

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