The Serbian Embassy in North Macedonia condemned the act of vandalism that took place on Thursday, when a young man, draped in the Albanian flag, forcibly removed the plaque with the Serbian coat of arms from the Consulate building in Kumanovo. The Embassy expressed its belief that the authorities will soon identify and prosecute the person responsible.

According to a post on the Embassy’s Instagram, the sign reading “Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Kumanovo – Honorary Consul,” written in both Serbian and Macedonian, was also taken down.

In the post, the Embassy expressed concern over the defacement of Serbia’s national symbols and the security threat to the Consulate’s premises in Kumanovo. It pointed out that Serbian diplomatic and consular missions, as well as residences of diplomatic staff, have been targeted by acts of vandalism in North Macedonia before.

The Embassy emphasized its full commitment to cooperating with the relevant authorities in North Macedonia to ensure the swift identification and prosecution of the perpetrator. It also noted that the individual’s identity can “clearly be determined from the available security footage.”