site.bta Reactions Escalate in Bulgaria after Controversial Slav Letters Remark by President Putin

Reactions Escalate in Bulgaria after Controversial Slav Letters Remark by President Putin

Sofia, May 25 (BTA) - Reactions escalated in Sofia Thursday triggered by a controversial remark by Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday about the origin of Slav letters in which he forgot to mention Bulgaria's historic role. Following the first reaction, by Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, comments were also made by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, government members and analysts, and the social media and forums are bursting with angry reactions.

Speaking to Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov during the latter's working visit to Moscow on May 24, the Day of Slav letters commemorating the work of Ss Cyril and Methodius who devised the Slav alphabet, Putin said that the Slav letters and literature "came to us from Macedonian soil". Responding to this, Ivanov said that Sts Cyril and Methodius are "our spiritual teachers" and their disciple St Clement "is the best known Macedonian saint".

Borissov said, as quoted by the news media Thursday: "It is un-European to continue arguing about history even though historians have long had their final word about who started the Slav letters and took them where. The European thing to do would be to say that thanks to the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, to the letters and the script they created, over 300 million people write and read these letters and add diversity to European culture."

Borissov was speaking at a ceremony at which TV Evropa handed him an award for pro-European policy.

Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova told Nova TV that President Putin's remarks were "surprising and unacceptable". "Bulgaria is the carrier of this wealth [of the heritage of Slav letters] and we have to stand up for it. It [Putin's remarks] must be some kind of a message for us and we have to decipher it. It is important to say that we cannot accept this attitude and to protect our history." Ninova also said that no further reaction is needed after that by the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister.

Recalling the historic role played in the origin of the Slav letters by Bulgaria in the 9th century, Foreign Minister Zaharieva wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday: "The [May 24] holiday is not ours only, and the Cyrillic alphabet is our common heritage. But you should know that we remember our history, and this is what makes us proud."

Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov is quoted by the press as saying that the remarks about the origin of Slav letters demonstrate poor knowledge of history. "I am surprised to see that the President of the largest Slav country does not know the history of Slavic people. The fact is that the Slav letters came into being thanks to the Bulgarian state and the 'Macedonian soil' the Russian President mentions were part of the Bulgarian state," he reportedly said.

History professor Angel Dimitrov, who was the first Bulgarian Ambassador to Macedonia, commented on Nova TV that the Russian President always knows well what he is saying. "I wish our Foreign Ministry would send the Russian Embassy a collection of books, history books, so they get better acquainted with the Bulgarian history. I also wish they have the character to remind the Russian leadership that such remarks do not work for the good relations between our countries."

Political analyst Ognyan Minchev wrote in a Facebook post that inciting rivalry among brotherly Slav peoples has been a key instrument in Russian politics for centuries. "All empires are masters in the carrot-or-stick game but the Kremlin have always been a virtuoso player. Inciting conflicts among Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece in order to position Russia in the role of the mediator and the peacemaker is a systemic policy - and not only in the Balkans," Minchev wrote.

On Thursday, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Makarov was received by Prime Minister Borissov in the government HQ but the government press office said that it was a scheduled meeting and was not prompted by the controversial Slav-letters remark. Asked by a reporter outside the government building where the Slav alphabet originated, Ambassador Makarov said: "It is a common holiday. I participated in all your celebrations on the occasion. Russia has always been and will be with you, including on this occasion."

The Ambassador would not comment the issues they discussed with the Prime Minister but confirmed that President Putin's remark was among them.