Skopje, 5 August 2022 (MIA) - The European Union is following closely all related developments, including the recent public exchanges between the Head of the Public Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption, Vilma Ruskovska, and the Financial Police Director, Arafat Muaremi and calls on the issue to be addressed by the competent authorities, the EU Delegation in Skopje says after Ruskovska's call to relevant state institutions and foreign embassies and international organizations. "The application of the rule of law is one of the highest priorities for the European Union. It is an essential part of the upcoming negotiation Cluster on Fundamentals, which is first to be opened in the accession negotiations with the EU," the EU Delegation tells MIA in a statement. The applicable laws, it adds, prescribe the respective competences of the national authorities and ways of their mutual cooperation, which should be respected. "This issue is for the competent authorities to address," it is concluded. In a statement issued yesterday following a press briefing held by Muaremi, Ruskovska has called on all relevant institutions in the country as well as all international institutions and embassies, most notably the U.S. Embassy and the EU Delegation, “once and for all to check the facts and make it clear who is fighting crime in this country and who is committing the crime.” The pressure exerted by a government-appointed official on prosecutors for organized crime, as well as the interference in their case, is appalling, noted the chief prosecutor. Also, when asked for comment, the U.S. Embassy said it appears this issue is an ongoing process and a matter for the competent authorities to resolve. "The U.S. Embassy is committed to promoting the rule of law in North Macedonia and supports efforts of the authorities and the judiciary to ensure transparency and accountability within institutions," the U.S. Embassy in Skopje has said in a response submitted to Telma TV yesterday.