North Macedonia, Bulgaria Celebrate Friendship Treaty Anniversary

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov vowed not to impede North Macedonia's progress towards European Union membership at ceremonies marking the second anniversary of their landmark friendship treaty.

"I don't even want to think about us allowing a blockade of North Macedonia's European integration," Borissov told the media in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje at events hosted by his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev. "If we reach such a point, we would be laughed at in the European Union," he added.

However, the Bulgarian leader reiterated that the joint history commission formed between the two countries as part of the landmark deal must reach an agreement by an October deadline, and close past bitter arguments over the national identity of jointly claimed heroes such as the early-20th century revolutionary Gotse Delchev.

As part of the visit, both leaders on Thursday laid flowers on, and bowed to, Delchev's tomb, which is located in the Church of Holy Salvation in Skopje.

"They simply have to reach an agreement. This matter should not be delayed any longer, as there is no reason for it," Borissov said.

North Macedonia is hoping to get a start date for its EU accession talks this autumn, after getting a positive recommendation from the European Commission earlier this year.

The two neighbours signed their landmark agreement exactly two years ago on August 1, 2017. The symbolic date preceded August 2, which both countries celebrate as the date of the so-called Ilinden [St. Elijah's Day ] uprising of 1903.

Both countries honour the uprising against Ottoman rule - which resulted in the formation of the short-lived Krushevo Republic, in today's North Macedonia - as their own.

As a result, a bitter dispute...

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