Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for Southeast Europe, Jelko Kacin condemned Monday the murder of five persons near Skopje village Smiljkovci.

"The brutal murder of the five Macedonian citizens must be solved as soon as possible. Investigative and judicial bodies must do their job efficiently and thoroughly by determining all elements. It is necessary to find the perpetrator of this horrendous crime, thus avoiding an atmosphere of insecurity and mistrust. Macedonia's leaders and state bodies must do everything to prevent the eruption of ethnic clashes", says Kacin in the statement.

According to him, no ethnic community is tied to the crime, whereas murderers have names and surnames.

Kacin also saluted the efforts of Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska in the investigation.

"This horrible crime is a tragic reminder of how much the Macedonian society needs progress in the EU and NATO integration. Interethnic conflicts in Macedonia must never repeat. EU's political and economic framework would represent a precious and crucial contribution towards the stability of Macedonia and the Western Balkans in general", underlines EP member Kacin.