Historical issues between North Macedonia and Bulgaria

Iakovos Michailidis

Inserted 2 years ago

“The history of Bulgaria and Slav Macedonia until World War Two are one and the same. Where they differ is after 1940, when Bulgaria becomes a Nazi ally, and [what is now] North Macedonia was part of Tito's resistance to the Nazis. That's where the history diverges. So the history up to World War Two is an apple of discord. Historical continuity and roots in the Balkans have become huge issues. The Slav Macedonians cannot accept that their beginnings as a nation go back only as far back as the 1940s.”

Aljazeera

Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki

20 Jan 2022 6 2

Saska Cvetkovska

Inserted 2 years ago

“Both sides discussed some more pragmatic parts of the cross border cooperation - economic and diplomatic education, chambers of commerce. These are mostly run by the EU so they don't count. Everybody was avoiding the core issue, which is the recognition of the Macedonian language and identity.”

Aljazeera

Executive director at the Investigative Reporting Lab a centre of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

20 Jan 2022 4 3

Dragi Gjorgiev

Inserted 2 years ago

“When there is talk about the so-called memory politics of a nation's past, then in order to make decisions about this memory politics, which usually results in what is written on the monuments, and how public opinion perceives this past, seeing things through the eyes of politics, then a lot of discussions, talks, consensus in public opinion is needed to make a decision on how to present a certain event or person from the past. I do not see this statement by our Prime Minister [Zoran Zaev] as a statement that will be implemented immediately and on the basis of which the deletion of some offensive designations from those that have been established so far will begin in the field tomorrow. I see this statement more as an attempt, a signal to the other side that as far as the historical reconciliation between the Macedonian (sic) and Bulgarian people is concerned, there should be a dialogue, all the painful issues between us should be discussed and that this is the solution to achieve reconciliation.”

Balkaneu

Chairman of the North Macedonia Group in the Joint Interdisciplinary Commission on Historical and Educational Issues with Bulgaria

27 Sep 2021 5 4

Jani Makraduli

Inserted 2 years ago

“Macedonian language, Macedonian identity and Macedonian uniqueness are internationally accepted and confirmed, part of our ID at the United Nations. Our international positions are clear and repeated countless times - there has not been and there will never be negotiations about them.”

Balkaninsight

North Macedonia politician - Social Democrat MP

30 Jul 2021 4 5

Andrey Kovatchev

Inserted 2 years ago

“It is not a problem that Bulgaria has a provisional government, as Zaev believes. The problem is that Skopje did nothing to implement the [2017 friendship] agreement with Bulgaria. On the contrary, it puts efforts and lobbies to undermine Bulgaria's position and [exert] pressure on Sofia. We are not disputing their [North Macedonia's] current identity and language. The agreement speaks of a joint history of the current two peoples, a joint Bulgarian history, not a shared one, not intertwined, but a joint history of one ethnos in the past, which was divided cruelly at the start of the 20th century by unfortunate fate and the big powers.”

Balkaninsight

Bulgarian politician, Member of the European Parliament

16 Jun 2021 3 3

Zoran Zaev

Inserted 2 years ago

“I have a feeling the problem won't be solved by June 22. Bulgaria has a technical government and has no parliament [in session, ahead of July elections], but this option is not impossible. But I believe that these days we can reach an agreement that would be ratified by us and by the next Bulgarian government and parliament.”

Balkaninsight

Prime Minister of North Macedonia

16 Jun 2021 1 2

Zoran Zaev

Inserted 2 years ago

“Mickoski [Hristijan Mickoski] absolutely knows that the plan [Portuguese plan to overcome the issues with Bulgaria] is good and is a starting point for reaching a solution. So now, to organise protests with a few cars and a handful of people to block the traffic, is a message that I really cannot understand. We are talking with Bulgaria about the roadmap, and the talks are focused on a sectorial level, on construction of railways and roads that are part of Corridor 8, on cooperation between the culture ministries, and ministries for education and science, on labour and social policies and on health, as well as on cooperation between the national youth agencies and the national broadcasters. Everything else is being discussed through the Portuguese presidency.”

Balkaninsight

Prime Minister of North Macedonia

08 Jun 2021 2 3

Krasimir Karakachanov

Inserted 3 years ago

“We treat the Republic of North Macedonia as a country where our compatriots live. Their political elite cannot understand exactly what they want and what they do not want. They want to enter the EU in muddy shoes, without apologizing for the killed Bulgarians.”

Balkaneu

Bulgaria’s Minister of Defense

05 Feb 2021 1 3

Boyko Borisov

Inserted 3 years ago

“We hope that together with our brothers from North Macedonia, next year we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Goce Delchev. Today marks 149 years since the birth of Goce Delchev, voivode activist of the revolutionary liberation movement of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, among our most distinguished common historical heroes. I hope we have wisdom next year, along with our friends and brothers from North Macedonia, to celebrate its 150th anniversary, united and together on the path of European integration.”

Balkaneu

Prime Minister of Bulgaria

05 Feb 2021 3 3

Ekaterina Zakharieva

Inserted 3 years ago

“Bulgaria is saying 'No' to the start of negotiations, we are not saying 'No' to North Macedonia's accession to the EU. No one is disputing their right to self-define their nation and call their language what they like. But we cannot agree that this right will be based on hatred, history theft and denial of Bulgaria.”

Europeanwesternbalkans

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs

16 Nov 2020 3 3

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“Both sides discussed some more pragmatic parts of the cross border cooperation - economic and diplomatic education, chambers of commerce. These are mostly run by the EU so they don't count. Everybody was avoiding the core issue, which is the recognition of the Macedonian language and identity.”

“Macedonian language, Macedonian identity and Macedonian uniqueness are internationally accepted and confirmed, part of our ID at the United Nations. Our international positions are clear and repeated countless times - there has not been and there will never be negotiations about them.”

“We treat the Republic of North Macedonia as a country where our compatriots live. Their political elite cannot understand exactly what they want and what they do not want. They want to enter the EU in muddy shoes, without apologizing for the killed Bulgarians.”

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