North Macedonia and Bulgaria have vowed to stamp out hate speech, and both countries must prepare a specific procedure for action in such cases, according to the bilateral protocol signed by the two foreign ministers on Sunday.
The first and most important condition remains that Bulgarians be included as a people in the Macedonian constitution, for which there is still no support in the Macedonian parliament. However, other commitments aim to solve the problems of good neighbourliness between both countries.
The government of the Republic of North Macedonia has declared that it will also create the necessary comprehensive legal framework for the full opening of the archives of the state security services from the communist period, including the police, civilian and military intelligence and counterintelligence in the period 1945-1991.
The historical question is also included in the protocol. The two countries agree to jointly celebrate in 2022 and 2023 all common historical events and personalities that have already been agreed upon by the joint historical commission.
North Macedonia’s government will prepare and present an example lesson for the seventh grade of the educational program for King Samuil, which both countries have agreed is a common historical figure.
North Macedonia also aims to change the content of the geography textbook for 14-year-old students in connection with established unfounded ethnic and territorial claims to Bulgaria by the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
