PRISTINA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in North Macedonia have elected Dimitar Kovacevski as prime minister, paving the way for the Socialist leader to try to unblock the country's path to negotiations on European Union membership.
Elected on Sunday evening by 62 votes in the 120-seat parliament, Kovacevski replaced Zoran Zaev, who resigned on Oct. 31 in line with a promise to quit if his party lost in local elections.
The main task facing the new prime minister will be to reach a deal with Bulgaria to lift its veto on the start of Skopje's negotiations on EU membership.
Bulgaria has blocked the opening of formal EU membership talks with North Macedonia due to a dispute over history and language. It has since been under pressure from its Western allies in the EU and NATO to break the diplomatic deadlock.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov will visit Skopje on Tuesday for more talks on a possible deal.
Kovacevski's government faces challenges ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to an energy crisis caused by a lack of domestic electricity production and price hikes across Europe.
North Macedonia became a NATO member in March 2020 after resolving a dispute with Greece over its name.
The next elections are scheduled for July 2024. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by William Maclean)
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