The Commission is created by the governments of the R. of North Macedonia and the R. of Bulgaria, and it functions in their respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs. In terms of its actual work, the members of the Commission work independently. The commission meets several times per year in Skopje or Sofia. The task of the Commission is to open and discuss painful or controversial historical questions that are important in both countries, especially in terms of education and remembrance, and finally to reach and write recommendations to both governments with specific ideas how to overcome those difficulties. The main objective is to propose adequate solutions to controversial spots in historical narratives in both countries, with the hope that they are later on implemented in the educational system, as well as to identify several occasions (historical events or figures) for joint celebration between the two countries. On the longterm, the objective is to contribute to a significant amelioration in the way the past is used in education and politics of memory, so that it can advance the peaceful and good relations between the two countries.
The Commission was established in 2018 under the bilateral Bulgaria – North Macedonia Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation which recognizes the common history of the two countries and their peoples and postulates that the two states will organize joint celebrations of the common historical events and personalities. So far the Commission has reviewed and made recommendations on the textbooks in ancient history and on the joint official celebration of five important common cultural and political figures from the medieval period (Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Kliment Ohridski, St. Naum Ohridski and Tsar Samuel).
Website
no website available
Country
Runtime
since July 2018
Contact
Co-president from North Macedonia's side: Prof. Dr. Dragi Gjorgiev: gjorgiev.dragi(at)yahoo.com
Deputy co-president from Bulgarian side: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naoum Kaytchev: naumkbg(at)gmail.com
