29 December 2021 Skopje – President Stevo Pendarovski handed over the government mandate to SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski on Wednesday. “Based on Article 84, Paragraph 1, Point 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and the information on the PM-designate nomination by SDSM, supported by political parties within a coalition that holds the required parliamentary majority, I hereby name SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski as PM-designate,“ said President Pendarovski. Skopje – Settlement of the Bulgaria dispute will be one of the key issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in 2022. The focus will be on overcoming differences and starting EU accession negotiations, but there are many other priorities too, said Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani in his annual briefing on Wednesday. Skopje – North Macedonia registered 396 new COVID-19 infections after 4,858 tests were conducted in labs across the country in the past 24 hours. In the same period, 14 deaths and 207 recoveries were reported, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Skopje – Prime Minister Zoran Zaev handed out on Wednesday awards to health workers in COVID centers, stressing that they deserve our utmost respect and gratitude for their humanity, care and sacrifice. Skopje – The Government adopted a decision to approve budget funds for implementation of the print media support program, which is implemented for the fourth time and intended for general and informative print media. Skopje – The Directorate for Industrial Development Zones (TIDZ) has fully implemented the budget for supporting companies within the technological-industrial development zones. Moreover, figures show that as of November, total export stands at nearly EUR 3 billion, director Jovan Despotovski told reporters on Wednesday, adding that final data will be published at the beginning of 2022. Skopje – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Trajan Dimkovski, Director of the Agency for Financial Support in Agriculture and Rural Development, Nikica Bachovski, and Food and Veterinary Agency Director Nikolche Babovski held on Wednesday a working meeting with reporters, presenting results achieved in 2021. Skopje – Over 95 percent of the second phase of the Kumanovo – Stracin highway have been completed. Modernization of this highway as part of Corridor 8 is of particular importance for the whole country, said Deputy PM for the fight against corruption and crime, sustainable development and human resources, Ljupcho Nikolovski, who oversaw on Wednesday the completion of construction works on the highway alongside Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski and director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads Ejup Rustemi. Warsaw – Poland has reported the highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day since April. Paris – The number of new coronavirus cases recorded in France in the past 24 hours reached a new high of 208,000 on Wednesday.