With a concert by the Slavey Quartet created by folk singer Nadka Karadzhova and a conversation about the problems of our compatriots in the Western Outlands, the Cultural and Information Center of the Bulgarian Minority in Bosilegrad celebrates 27 years since its establishment. Every birthday is an occasion to remember the achievements, and for nearly three decades in extremely unfavourable conditions, CIC Bosilegrad has been providing invaluable assistance to Bulgarians there:

"We prepared almost all the candidate students under the 103rd decree of the Council of Ministers for their exams, many of them found jobs and stayed in Bulgaria. They were taken away from the propaganda machine of the Serbian authorities, instilling anti-Bulgarian sentiments,” says in an interview with Radio Bulgaria the chairman of the CIC and doyen of the Bulgarian community in the Western Outlands, Ivan Nikolov. “Regarding Bulgarian citizenship, we conducted consultations and provided assistance to most Bulgarians from Bosilegrad. We have marked all significant dates and events related to Bulgarian history and culture."

Ivan Nikolov is also grateful for another opportunity provided for the Bulgarians in Bosilegrad - the specialized medical care they receive at the Military Medical Academy in Sofia. Since the beginning of the year, 60 people have used it.

The beginning of the activity of CIC "Bosilegrad" was set on October 2, 1998, as a result of a bilateral agreement between Bulgaria and the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to open such centers in the Serbian towns of Tsaribrod and Bosilegrad, populated by ethnic Bulgarians. Their main task is to spread and develop Bulgarian culture and writing, to work for the preservation of the Bulgarian cultural heritage in the regions of Bosilegrad and Tsaribrod, to develop tourism, sports and to improve Bulgarian-Serbian relations.

"During the registration of the center, there were no problems, but when it was opened and started working, presenting Bulgarian cultural programs, but also talking about the problems of the minority, then a cruel campaign began against us and I must tell you that even the local structure of Slobodan Milosevic's socialist party came up with a proposal to the prosecutor's office to ban the activities of the cultural and information center, which, fortunately, did not happen. However, most Serbian media outlets came up with slanderous headlines, claiming that the center's activities were the first step towards secession of Bosilegrad and Tsaribrod and their accession to Bulgaria. This is being repeated to this day," Ivan Nikolov says.

Thanks to the center's activities, the Bulgarian presence is becoming visible, but its work faces a number of obstacles, Nikolov says, recalling the thwarting of the premiere of writer Edvin Sugarev's book "Elegy for the Kraishte", as well as the constant lawsuits against those working there. In the past 27 years, Nikolov cannot remember a single day when there was no tension and stress. His current concerns are caused by the fact that the program of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which finances Bulgarian organizations in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Moldova and North Macedonia, has been suspended, as its four-year term has expired. The funds that the cultural and information center needs to continue functioning normally are in the amount of 30,000 euros per year.

Ivan Nikolov also frankly pointed out the directions in which the Bosilegrad Cultural Center failed to achieve concrete results:

"We were unable to materialize this Bulgarian cultural presence and turn it into a real political force that could offer a little more business and livelihood to the local population. We were unable to achieve it due to the powerlessness of the Bulgarian state to reach some kind of agreement with the Serbian authorities for making the life of the Bulgarian population here easier, for the free movement of people, goods, ideas and capital. Something that was a European process, but unfortunately, it could not take root in this country."

• Ivan Nikolov: We are losing the 100-year "war" for the survival of the Bulgarians in the Western Outlands

Another hope for the Bulgarians in the Western Outlands, which remains currently unfulfilled, is for Serbia to embark on its path to European integration. This would open up opportunities for solving key problems related to the survival of this population, which is currently trying its best to attain Bulgarian citizenship and move to Bulgaria or some Western European country:

"The governments of Bulgaria and Serbia do not reach common language and everything that was agreed upon is forgotten the next day. Serbia did not start negotiations for accession to the EU; we see mixed messages to Russia and China, anti-European slogans are being heard more and more often, and along with them public opinion is also changing."

According to Nikolov, the protests that Serbia has been witnessing for more than a year do not have clearly defined political goals - do they want to change the system or only change the personalities in it? Therefore, the requested resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić and the holding of early parliamentary elections would not solve anything, as they would have approximately the same result, which would guarantee the current rulers another mandate, Ivan Nikolov says.

More on the topic:

• What is life like for Bulgarian compatriots on the doorstep of the fatherland?

• Bulgarian Cultural and Information Center in Bosilegrad celebrates 25th anniversary

Author: Yoan Kolev

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photos: BGNES, BTA, facebook.com/KicBosilegrad, glaspress.rs