Skopje, 17 November 2021 (MIA) – December is the target for the agreement to overcome differences with Sofia but time is short and that is why January is not excluded as an option for a date to start EU accession negotiations, says Deputy PM for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov. Dimitrov told TV24 that current Presidency holder Slovenia has a strategic interest “to push the region towards the EU” and recalls that France will then take over, where presidential elections are slated in the spring. “Although the preference is December, I am hearing from several European capitals that January is also an option, which gives us a bit more time, although I think that December should still be the target,” says Dimitrov. In light of the EU Summit in December, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Linhart is set to pay an official visit to Skopje on Thursday, followed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, with North Macedonia’s European perspectives in the focus of discussions.