Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations
Bulgaria |
North Macedonia |
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Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations are the
In 2020, Bulgaria offered a compromise and agreed to recognize the Macedonian language and national identity if North Macedonia would recognize both nations and languages have common historical roots. This proposal was rejected by North Macedonia as threatening. The acknowledgement of Bulgarian influence on the Macedonian history is highly problematic for many Macedonians, because it clashes with the post-WWII Yugoslav Macedonian nation-building narrative, which was based on a deeply anti-Bulgarian stance. Another revisionist strand of the Macedonian historiography is that their national history had already been taken earlier by the Bulgarian national historiography.
History
Background
On January 15, 1992, Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the independence of the then-Republic of Macedonia.
Reacting to the publication of a controversial encyclopedia by the
Friendship treaty and beyond
The Governments of Bulgaria and North Macedonia signed a
In October 2019, Bulgaria set out a "framework position", warning that it would block the EU accession process unless North Macedonia fulfilled a number of demands regarding what Bulgaria perceived as "anti-Bulgarian ideology" in the country.[32] In October 2020, Bulgaria offered a compromise and agreed to recognize the Macedonian language and Macedonian identity if North Macedonia recognizes that they historically had Bulgarian roots. Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said that "just as we are ready to acknowledge the reality, so they must acknowledge the past."[33] This proposal was rejected by North Macedonia. Macedonian President Pendarovski and Prime Minister Zaev announced that they were neither negotiating nor would ever negotiate whether the Macedonian language and identity were related historically to Bulgaria.[34] As a result, on November 17, 2020, Bulgaria refused to approve the European Union's negotiation framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the official start of accession talks with this country.[35] Germany and the EU institutions criticized Sofia's unconstructive behavior.[36] According to Polish political scientist Tomasz Kamusella, Bulgaria's EU membership should not be weaponized as an instrument of pressure on EU candidate states to spread Bulgarian ethnopolitical influence across the region, from Moldova to North Macedonia and Albania.[37]
In an interview with Bulgarian media in November 2020, Prime Minister
See also
- Foreign relations of Bulgaria
- Foreign relations of North Macedonia
- Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union
- Macedonians in Bulgaria
- Bulgarians in North Macedonia
- Bulgaria–Yugoslavia relations
References
- ISBN 0199241686, pp. 413-414.
- ^ Paul Reef, Macedonian Monument Culture Beyond 'Skopje 2014'. From the journal Comparative Southeast European Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/soeu-2018-0037
- ^ Marinov, Tchavdar (2011). "National Myths in Post-Communist Bulgaria and Their Criticism" (PDF). Euxeinos (2): 7–8.
- ^ Republic of Macedonia, bilateral cooperation. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, official website, September 10, 2011.
- ISBN 1845118855, p. 163.
- ISBN 1850655340, p. 214.
- ISBN 1317799526, p. 233.
- ^ Aspen Institute Prague, 1/2016, Between Skopje and Sofia, Jan Muś. The agreement on Good Neighborly Relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia faces serious difficulties related to the crucial issue of nationality.
- ISBN 0230583474, p. 253.
- ISBN 1841628581, p. 42.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica-online, Bulgaria, transition period, Loring Danforth.
- ^ The Princeton Encyclopedia of Self-Determination, Macedonia, Author: Jenny Engstrom.
- ^ Marinov, Tchavdar (2013). "In Defense of the Native Tongue: The Standardization of the Macedonian Language and the Bulgarian-Macedonian Linguistic Controversies". In Daskalov, Roumen; Marinov, Tchavdar (eds.). Entangled Histories of the Balkans - Volume One National Ideologies and Language Policies. Leiden / Boston: Brill. p. 420.
Consequently, the Bulgarian anticommunist president and government started repeating scholarly clichés firmly established during the nationalist-communist regime of Todor Zhivkov.
- ^ Agreement of free trade between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria Archived 2018-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, Retrieved on 2012-02-29.
- ^ Macedonia's Latest Propaganda Spree Invents 750 000 'Macedonians' in Bulgaria. 16, 2011, Novinite.com.
- ISBN 978-954-92032-2-6
- ^ Bulgaria joins growing criticism of Macedonian Encyclopedia. Independent News Agency Makfax, September 24, 2009.
- ^ Kosovo Slams Macedonia Over Encyclopaedia. BalkanInsight.com, September 22, 2009.
- ^ Macedonian Encyclopaedia To Be Changed. Eurasia Press and News, September 24, 2009.
- ^ FYRMacedonia: "Macedonian Encyclopedia" withdrawn Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine. EMportal, September 26, 2009.
- ^ Macedonia embroiled in encyclopaedia row Archived 2017-10-23 at the Wayback Machine. Euractiv, October 13, 2009.
- ^ Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Official website, August 4, 2009.
- ^ Bulgaria's Position Concerning Macedonia Unchanged – Kalfin. The Sofia Echo, July 31, 2006.
- ^ Bulgaria Treaty Proposal Called 'Indecent'. BalkanInsight, March 17, 2010.
- ^ Macedonia’s Former PM Ljubco Georgievski Received Bulgarian Citizenship, Macedonian News, July 16, 2006
- ^ Како преку ноќ се станува Бугарин, Утрински весник, December 22, 2011
- ^ Македонци на брза лента за бугарски пасош[permanent dead link], Утрински весник, December 23, 2011
- ^ Macedonia Suffers from 'Bulgarian Citizenship Syndrome', Sofia News Agency
- ^ "Bulgaria pledges to champion Macedonia's EU and NATO dreams". 2 August 2017.
- ^ "Macedonian Parliament Ratifies The Declaration of Cooperation With Bulgaria". Archived from the original on 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
- ^ Georgi Gotev, Borissov warns North Macedonia against stealing Bulgarian history. EURACTIV.com. Jun 20, 2019.
- ^ Sinisa Jakov Marusic, Bulgaria Sets Tough Terms for North Macedonia’s EU Progress Skopje. BIRN; October 10, 2019. Archived 11 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Бартер със Скопие - минало за настояще, в-к Труд, 29.10.2020 г.
- ^ България признава македонския език и идентичност. Компромисът е македонците да признаят, че историческите им основи са български, но те се дърпат. в-к Сега, 29 Окт. 2020 г.
- ^ Bulgaria blocks EU accession talks with North Macedonia. Nov 17, 2020, National post.
- ^ Andrew Rettman (9 December 2020). "Germany apologises to Skopje for Bulgaria fiasco". euobserver.com.
- ^ Tomasz Kamusella. 2021. Bulgaria’s Secret Empire: An Ultimatum to North Macedonia (pp 155-212). Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies. No. 6.
- ^ Зоран Заев: Договорът с България ще бъде закон. Меdiapool публикува интервюто на Любчо Нешков, собственик на информационната агенция БГНЕС. 25 November, 2020; Mediapool.bg.
- ^ Sinisa Jakov Marusic, North Macedonia PM’s Remarks About History Hit a Nerve. BIRN, November 26, 2020.
- ^ VMRO-DPMNE leader Mickoski demands PM Zaev's resignation, announces more protests. MIA, 26 November 2020 Archived 19 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Любчо Георгиевски: Хората са шокирани от Заев, защото не познават миналото. Епицентър, 28 ноем. 2020.
- ^ "Skopje condemns a video with a burning Bulgarian flag". bnr.bg. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ Öztürk, Talha (15 January 2021). "North Macedonia condemns burning of Bulgarian flag". Anadolu Agency.
- ^ Georgievski, Nenad. "Macedonian President Pendarovski and the Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the burning of the Bulgarian flag at the Vevchani Carnival | Meta.mk". Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ a b "Latest publication by Slovenian IFIMES rekindles tensions between Bulgaria and North Macedonia". Independent Balkan News Agency. 2021-03-29. Archived from the original on 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ a b Nikolov, Krassen (2021-03-29). "Sofia suspects Skopje for anti-Bulgarian PR". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ "Захариева: Очакваме отговор от РСМ за клеветническата кампания срещу България". БГНЕС (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ "Zaev's Advisers Call Bulgaria And Germany Mafia States As Well As Fans of Nazism". Bulgaria Business Insider. 2021-03-26. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ "Владата демантира каква било поврзаност со анализите на ИФИМЕС за Бугарија".
- ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "New prime ministers reboot Bulgaria-North Macedonia relations | DW | 24.01.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
- ^ "Bulgarian parliament votes to lift veto on EU accession talks with North Macedonia". France 24. Retrieved 2022-06-29.