next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

North Macedonia's president-elect says his first task in coming weeks after assuming his post will be to lobby European Union leaders in Brussels to approve the start of his country's accession talks in June.

Stevo Pendarovski, backed by North Macedonia's center-left government, prevailed over conservative rival Gordana Davkova Siljanovska in a tightly-contested runoff election Sunday.

He also pledged late Sunday to begin his presidency by signing off on a package of bills approved by parliament that outgoing president Gjorge Ivanov has refused to sign because of his opposition to a deal with Greece that saw the country renamed North Macedonia, from Macedonia, earlier this year.

Ivanov's second and final term ends on May 12.