Although the opening of cultural centers throughout the democratic world is a step towards bringing peoples and their cultures closer together, the naming of cultural institutions after a proven collaborator of the fascist regime of World War II does not serve that noble cause.
Without disputing the good intention of Prime Minister Petkov, yesterday in Bitola, the Bulgarian delegation included two representatives of the former government in Sofia who were the most vocal opponents of the Macedonian path to Europe. Their very presence and statements minimized the messages of good neighborliness and cooperation sent by the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
In 2017, the idea of establishing a commission composed of historians was to find a compromise on historical events and personalities that should be jointly celebrated by both the Macedonian and Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, yesterday in Bitola an attempt was made to present a proven collaborator of the Hitler Nazi regime as a bridge of rapprochement between the two countries. I am sure that neither the Macedonian nor the Bulgarian people believe that the character and work of Vancho Mihajlov can contribute to that goal.
