site.btaMarch 10, 2005: Bulgarian Cultural and Information Center Opens in Skopje

On March 10, 2005, the Presidents of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, Georgi Parvanov and Branko Crvenkovski, inaugurated a Bulgarian Cultural and Information Center in Skopje. Located in the building of the Bulgarian Embassy, the center was established under an Agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, signed on April 18, 2003, for the opening of cultural and information centers in the two capitals.

Bulgaria was the first country in the region to open a cultural center in Skopje.

The event took place just before the start of a Southeast Europe Cooperation Development Summit, organized under the patronage of North Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn (March 10-11, 2005).

The Skopje visit by President Georgi Parvanov, the Summit and the opening of the Bulgarian culture center was covered for BTA by its special correspondent Rayna Asenova.

Following is one of the stories:

Bulgarian, Macedonian Presidents Open Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Skopje

Skopje, March 10 (BTA special correspondent Raina Asenova) - The Presidents of Bulgaria and Macedonia, Georgi Purvanov and Branko Crvenkovski, opened Thursday a Bulgarian cultural centre in the building of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje. The two heads of state took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, assisted by children in national folk costumes. 

"The opening of a Bulgarian cultural centre in Skopje is one of the most significant events in the Bulgarian-Macedonian relations in the past 15 years," Purvanov said. 

"We have an exceptionally active political dialogue and the number of meetings I have had with the President of the Republic of Macedonia in the past three and a half years is far above the meetings I have had with any other head of state. We have ever more intensive business relations, proof of which is the presence of businessmen here today," Purvanov said. 

Purvanov noted also that the opening of the Bulgarian centre opens an opportunity to take bilateral relations to an even higher level. "For long years we have argued about culture and history. The time has time now to show that more things unite us than separate us in these fields," Purvanov said. 

Crvenkovski for his part said that the opening of the centre is a concrete realization of a joint idea with Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In April 2003 the two officials signed an agreement for opening of a Bulgarian cultural centre in Skopje and a Macedonian cultural centre in Sofia. 

Crvenkosvki assessed ties between the two states as friendly and goodneighbourly, saying that Macedonia and Bulgaria can be a positive example to other countries and contribute to a broader cultural and all-round cooperation in the region. He said the opening of a Bulgarian cultural centre in Skopje and a Macedonian cultural centre in Sofia shows in a clear way the rejection of Balkan stereotypes in the favour of European norms and values in bilateral relations. 

Purvanov made the first donation to the newly opened centre, a large collection of Bulgarian books. An exhibition of Bulgarian and Macedonian artists is on display at the centre. 

Bulgaria is the first country in the region to open a cultural centre in Skopje. A Macedonian cultural centre will be opened in May in Sofia, in the presence of Macedonian President Crvenkovski.