One of the main activities of the Media Information Agency (MIA) is to inform with verified information, its Director Dragan Antonovski told a cross-border conference within BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Thursday.
"We must strive to bring the two neighbouring countries, Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, closer in a European context," he said, adding that it is true, there are differences between the two countries, but that hate speech must be eliminated.
"We are trying to dominate as a news agency, which also applies to good neighbourly relations. We need to know the exact information, and verified sources are essential to us," Antonovski said. He stressed the importance of information exchange between the two neighbouring countries and expressed hope that an annex would be signed to the agreement between BTA and MIA, which will allow North Macedonia's news agency to open a press centre in Sofia in 2025 and to develop more collaborative information products.
"Success lies in knowledge and ability, not in propaganda and politics. It is in our interest to become closer. We can jointly contribute a lot and talk about joint participation, with the support of the European Commission and EU funding, and this is the only way we should work," Antonovski concluded.
Through the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project, BTA aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. Until September 2025, BTA will host discussions at its press clubs in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
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