Bulgaria's Relations with North Macedonia in Focus of Discussion with Ex-President Petar Stoyanov

Valentin Evstatiev

Petar Stoyanov speaks at the discussion (BTA photo)

Sofia,

28.11.2023 20:43

(BTA)

The state and the prospects of Bulgaria's relations with North Macedonia were in the focus of a discussion with former Bulgarian president Petar Stoyanov, hosted by the Sofia-based Macedonian Scientific Institute (MSI) on the occasion of its centenary.

Stoyanov, who was president between 1997 and 2002, put the spotlight on language, identity and patriotic rhetoric related to North Macedonia.

Discussing the rights of people with Bulgarian self-awareness in North Macedonia, Stoyanov noted that, to be successful, the pursuit of a national cause requires not just patriotism but also knowledge, thinking and intelligence. He said he firmly believes in the EU's future and Bulgaria's place in the bloc.

MSI President Georgi Nikolov said he was honoured to welcome the ex-president of Bulgaria to the discussion. He said an exhibition of MSI publications was opened on November 27. That was the anniversary of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly, which, Nikolov said, still weighs heavily on Bulgarian history.

Speakers also looked at the expected inclusion of North Macedonia's Bulgarians into the country's Constitution and the possibility for people with Macedonian self-awareness in Bulgaria to raise a reciprocal demand.

/DD/