Bulgarian Culture Minister Velislav Minekov held a meeting Monday in Sofia with North Macedonia’s Culture Minister Irena Stefoska as part of her visit to the Bulgarian capital.
Talks focused on ways for Sofia and Skopje to enhance cultural cooperation, Minister Stefoska told MIA’s Sofia correspondent after the meeting.
According to her, the existing cultural cooperation program with Bulgaria is an excellent foundation as it has been opening new opportunities for increased cooperation between the two countries in culture, including protection of cultural heritage.
“We agreed that the existing culture cooperation agreement, which is versatile and comprehensive, should be activated in all areas,” Stefoska told MIA.
The two ministers agreed starting September the philharmonics of Bulgaria and North Macedonia to intensify contacts and exchange visits. Now, it’s difficult to organize it due to the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in the two countries, she said.
The agreement, Stefoska said, allows institution to cooperate with each other and it is our job to create conditions and climate for them to cooperate. As part of the cooperation, not only the philharmonics, but also museum and theatres are expected to intensify their contacts.
Commenting on attending the concert by Macedonian pianist Simon Trpcheski in Sofia together with her Bulgarian counterpart, Stefoska said it is an example of how things should be done.
“This is the first meeting of culture ministers of North Macedonia and Bulgaria in 2,5 years, the Minister said adding she was confident that ‘things are moving in the right direction in the field of culture.’
Bulgarian Minister Minekov told MIA he had the feeling he’d known his colleague from North Macedonia a long time despite meeting her five days ago.
“Culture opens borders,” he stressed.
In Sofia, the two ministers agreed to facilitate trips of artists from North Macedonia to Bulgaria and vice versa as well as transportation of exhibition items for display at shows in the two countries. They also discussed participation of artists at the Ohrid festival and the poetry festival in Struga.
Minister Stefoska also visited the Cultural and Information Center of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia and met with its director Sashko Nasev.
