The EU and the French Presidency have not set any deadlines regarding the country's integration into the EU, confirmed today the French Ambassador to Macedonia, Cyril Bomgartner.

He presented today to the National Council for European Integration in the Parliament the priorities of the French presidency with the Council of the European Union. He said that there is no deadline for Macedonia to expand the union, and there is no date for the start of negotiations.

"There is no set deadline for this issue, because that deadline depends on the Intergovernmental Conference that will mark the start of negotiations and at this point it is impossible to set an exact date," Bomgartner said.

Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov he said that the Macedonian case is the most convincing, the most drastic test of the credibility of the EU policy towards the Western Balkans region.

France was the country that a few years ago blocked the opening of accession talks with Macedonia, and then on several occasions vetoed Bulgaria. Although it was expected that negotiations with the EU could be opened in December last year, this did not happen.