site.btaBulgaria-North Macedonia Historical Commission Meets in Skopje Without Concrete Results

A meeting of the joint commission between Bulgaria and North Macedonia on historical and educational issues, which took place October 24-25 in Skopje, discussed "the principles of work, as well as protocol and procedural-technical issues", according to a statement by new co-chair of the commission Vancho Gjorgjiev.

The meeting, the first after the government of North Macedonian replaced six of its seven members, prompted media interest, mainly regarding the Bulgarian members of the commission.

"Nothing can start from scratch because a lot of work has been done and we have to respect the work of this committee," said Bulgarian co-chair Prof. Angel Dimitrov, responding to a journalist's question whether the recommendations already adopted by the previous commission will be reviewed on the North Macedonian side.  

Speaking to BTA, Prof. Angel Dimitrov said that the meeting was held in a respectful manner as on the first day the members of the committee talked about procedural issues, because of the new composition of its members from North Macedonia, "but there will be no changes in the current way of working".

"The next meeting will be held in Sofia on December 12 and 13. The colleagues from North Macedonia, who have not participated in the work of the committee so far, need time to really get into the issues that we have discussed so far," Prof.  Dimitrov told BTA.

The meeting of the joint commission on historical and educational issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, held in Skopje in the last two days, is the first one after the government in Skopje made changes in its composition after the country's prime minister accused its previous co-chair Dragi Gjorgiev of not sufficiently protecting national interests in the work of the commission. The change in the composition of the commission postponed the planned meeting for the second half of September and its new co-chair said that there was no urgency to its work.