Hungary confirms asylum request by former Macedonian PM Gruevski

Former Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski has submitted an asylum request to the Hungarian immigration office asking for refugee status, the office of Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday.

"The Immigration and Asylum Office will conduct the asylum assessment procedure in accordance with both Hungarian and international law," Orban's office said in a statement.

Macedonia was an important ally, and Hungary considered the assessment of Gruevski's asylum request "to be solely a legal issue," the office said.

(With inputs from agencies.)