For the third time, diplomats, academics and public figures from Bulgaria and Serbia have gathered to discuss the history and future of the Western Outlands. This year's conference is being held in Sofia and Kyustendil. In a message to the director of the Cultural Centre of Bulgarians in Bosilegrad, Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that protecting the Bulgarian minority and safeguarding its right to preserve its identity, language and culture are among Bulgaria's key expectations of Serbia.
The Western Bulgarian Outlands: History and Prospects – this was the theme bringing together diplomats, academics and public figures from both sides of the Serbian border for the third time. This year, the conference is taking place in Sofia and Kyustendil. It is organised by the Western Outlands Research Institute and the Institute for Historical Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).
In a special message to the director of the Cultural Centre of Bulgarians in Bosilegrad, Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that the situation of Bulgaria's national minority and its ability to uphold its Bulgarian identity and freely express its culture, language and traditions are central to Bulgaria's expectations of the Serbian state in terms of finding effective solutions to the problems that have accumulated over the years.
The victory of the 'Student List' in Serbia and the elections for Bulgarian representation on the national minority councils, due to take place there in the coming days, were among the key issues shaping the conference discussions. Meanwhile, academic research and the realities on the ground painted a bleak picture of the fate of Bulgarians in the Western Outlands. Of the 120,000 people who once inhabited the territories severed from Bulgaria under the Treaty of Neuilly, only 12,815 live there today.
Ivan Nikolov, chairman of the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre: "This means that we have been reduced to the bare minimum... To give you an idea, only around 20 children are born in Bosilegrad and Tsaribrod. The outlook is horrifying."
Assoc. Prof. Dr Angel Dzhonev, chairman of the Western Outlands Research Institute: "There is no economy in the Western Outlands in the full sense of the word. Investment is virtually non-existent. Moreover, investment from people of Bulgarian origin is rejected and even actively discouraged."
Ivan Nikolov, chairman of the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre: "Serbia, and Yugoslavia before it, pursued a policy of assimilation of the Bulgarian minority."
BNT: Is this policy still being pursued today?
Ivan Nikolov, chairman of the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre: "It is still continuing, regardless of all the things we keep saying."
Assoc. Prof. Dr Angel Dzhonev, Western Outlands Research Institute: "We can say that Serbia's cultural doctrine is being implemented. Bulgarian-language education has been reduced to just a few hours a week, while the so-called bilingual model does not exist in practice."
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister stressed that she would continue to raise the country's priorities with Serbia's new government: education and religious services in Bulgarian, as well as improved connectivity.
Velislava Petrova, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "I hope the new political leadership will bring stability. All these rights must be guaranteed and, moreover, further strengthened in the future."
Dimitar Dimitrov, one of the leading advocates for the rights of Bulgaria's minority in Serbia, whose distinctive blue house has become a landmark in Bosilegrad, was presented with a gold badge bearing the logo of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The executive director of the agency, Rayna Mandzhukova, paid tribute to all those devoted to preserving the language, historical memory and spiritual heritage.
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