The PM Zoran Zaev speaks in an interview for MIA about the “Racketeering” case and his latest controversial statement. The PM once again addressed his apologies to the LGBT+ community in Macedonia, as well as the journalists and other media workers. “Me as a PM and as a human and the government, we all stand in defence of the freedom of speech, and we make no differences between the people based on their ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Our pledges for protection of the human rights of the LGBT+ community were already demonstrated through the adoption of the new Law against Discrimination. As I stand and pledge for equal society for all, the same way I have the right to use words used by the citizens in everyday communications to point out character traits of individuals which negatively influence our society. This government has done a lot for the LGBT+ community, and for the journalists too; after long years, the Interior Ministry is finally processing cases of threats against journalists and of compromising of their freedom of speech and independent reporting. When it comes to the “Racketeering” case, I must point out that all citizens, no matter their political background, have an obligation to report any information related to the case to the judicial authorities. This case proves that our struggle against corruption and crime is real and makes sense. The institutions are finally functioning properly and demonstrate serious resistance to corruption and irregularities. North Macedonia is ready to face all challenges on its way towards NATO and EU, and I assure the citizens that the state has the capacity, as well as the support from the entire democratic Western world, to deal with these challenges, improve and progress. Hence, I expect thorough investigation for the “Racketeering” case, and sooner resolution so that all who committed crimes face responsibility,” Zaev says.