Macedonia Foreign Minister Quits For Family Reasons

Milososki, who was seen as a trusted ally of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, said he was resigning for personal reasons, “to spend more time with my family”.

The outgoing chief of diplomacy will remain in politics. As a freshly elected legislator for the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party in the June 5 general election, he will continue to run parliament’s commission for foreign affairs.

Some media speculate that Milososki may be given an ambassadorial post. The name of Milosoki’s successor is not yet known.

His resignation comes as the Prime Minister is still holding talks on the formation of a new government. Gruevski won a third general election victory in a row on June 5 in company with his junior ethnic Albanian ally, the Democratic Union for Integration.

The premier is expected to put his proposed government to a vote in parliament before the mid-July deadline expires.

Milososki's term as Foreign Minister was marked by the escalation of the dispute with Greece over Macedonia's name in 2008. That year, Greece prevented NATO from extending a membership invitation to Macedonia, citing the unresolved bilateral dispute.

Athens argues that use of the name "Macedonia" implies a territorial claim to the northern Greek province of the same name.