Skopje, 25 October 2024 (MIA) - The joint Commission of Experts in Historical and Educational Issues between North Macedonia and Bulgaria continued its discussions Friday in Skopje on topics related to history.

Following a morning meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Bulgarian historian and diplomat Angel Dimitrov stated that they discussed the representation of the Ohrid Archbishopric in the 11th century. However, talks on this issue will continue at the next meeting in Sofia, for which a date will be set later. He expressed hope for goodwill in finding a common ground with the newly formed historical commission from the Macedonian side.

“We have begun extensive discussions on the representation of the Ohrid Archbishopric in the 11th century. Since our colleagues need time to explore this topic, we decided to postpone it until the next meeting in Sofia. The exact date has not been set yet, as we need to coordinate with the availability of all members of the joint commission. We did not further discuss the review of seventh-grade textbooks in the Republic of North Macedonia, but we started working on establishing protocols from previous meetings. We will continue with that after lunch,” Dimitrov said.

In response to a reporter's question about whether the joint historical commission with Bulgaria will restart its work, he noted that nothing can be initiated from the beginning, as a significant amount of work has already been completed.

“This means that nothing can be started from the beginning, as a great deal of work has been done, and we need to respect the contributions of this Commission,” he said.

When asked if they would find common ground with the newly formed group of Macedonian historians, Dimitrov said that everything is possible if there is goodwill.

“We hope there is (goodwill),” Dimitrov stated.

The joint Macedonian-Bulgarian historical commission has been holding talks in Skopje since Thursday, marking the first discussions following the new composition of the Macedonian team.

Photo: MIA

ФОТО: Принтскрин