Ilinden

"None of my actions so far or in the future will be directed against the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness, which was signed in 2017 between Bulgaria and RN Macedonia."

Since early September Ilina Dimitrijevska has been walking endless kilometres every day, going door to door asking people to take part in North Macedonia's first census in nearly two decades.

Her task may be straightforward enough, but the census remains highly sensitive due to the potential impact on the nation's minorities.

Bulgaria supports Northern Macedonia and Albania to launch EU membership talks. The official position came from the government meeting. However, the country has conditions.

Bulgaria's continued support for Skopje's EU accession bid - including its support for a start to its EU membership talks that will be decided at the European Council in October - depends on whether the two countries can resolve their disputes over history, Bulgarian leaders said on Monday at a meeting in Sofia held by President Rumen Radev.

Bulgaria marks the 116th anniversary of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising.

Wreathes were laid at the monument to Gotse Delchev in Macedonia square in Blagoevgrad.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov vowed not to impede North Macedonia's progress towards European Union membership at ceremonies marking the second anniversary of their landmark friendship treaty.

The minutes seen by Kathimerini of meetings between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's political party leaders about the negotiations with Greece before the name deal was signed in the Prespes lake district in June, indicate that they thought a deal would be easier to sign with a left-wing government in power in Greece.

Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev apologised in a Facebook post on Friday about his controversial remark about the 1903 Ilinden rebellion that caused uproar among Bulgarian politicians on all sides.

A 45-year-old Czech tourist drowned on the beach in Lozenets, police said. The tragedy took place at 19.20 on August 2. On August 2, Ilinden is celebrated in old style and, according to popular beliefs, the weather is "overturned" and the sea is very dangerous.

This year, due to unusually warm weather and strong winds, the deadly swell killed ten people since early in June.

Blagoevgrad. For the second time, the prime ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia, Boyko Borisov and Zoran Zaev, will celebrate together the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising. This year, Borisov and Zaev will mark the 115th anniversary of the uprising in Blagoevgrad.