Official website of the President of Russia

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Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon,

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As you have noticed, the Foreign Minister is absent because he has left for the Balkan Peninsula in accordance with my instructions and is expected to visit Macedonia and some other countries. Unfortunately, the regional situation is developing just like we predicted. Illegal Albanian separatist units were armed in the past. Nobody knows today how to deal with this problem, and the situation is gradually spiralling out of control. The countries in the region and Russia are really worried about this. The Foreign Minister will try and coordinate positions with our partners in the region, as well as with our colleagues in Europe and the United States.