MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Russia is concerned over deterioration of the political crisis in Macedonia and urges peaceful settlement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"We are concerned about reports on deteriorating political confrontation in Macedonia and clashes that occurred in Skopje," the foreign ministry said and called "on all sides to engage in political dialogue, refrain from provoking new stages of the crisis that has been going on for over a year."

The foreign ministry noted that "Macedonian opposition has once again become the instrument of fanning, including with support from the outside, an internal political conflict with the aim of disrupting snap election scheduled for 5 June 2016 that represent the only democratic and legitimate way out of the prolonged crisis." Holding snap election "was coordinated in the summer of 2015 with active participation of EU and US, and Western partners should adhere to reached agreements and assumed commitments," the ministry said.

"We consider it impermissible to swing the fragile situation in Macedonia that is caused by a complicated ethnic and religious structure of this country. Using ‘the Ukrainian scenario’, initiating illegal actions and state coup from outside may result in deep shocks in Macedonia and destabilization of the situation in the Balkans in general," the foreign ministry noted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on "all political forces and representatives of the international community to follow the path of settling the intra-Macedonian situation by peaceful means with respect to actions and decisions made by legitimate authorities and leadership of Macedonia."