The joint multidisciplinary expert commission for historical and educational issues between Macedonia and Bulgaria can give its expert opinion on certain topics related to history education in both countries, and certain recommendations, but not to solve political problems, said the member of the Macedonian team of the Commission Petar Todorov, adding that certain political statements leave the false impression that EU membership negotiations depend on the Commission.

We, Todorov emphasizes, are not a political body, and we do not see things through a political prism and as a political process. Therefore, he says, it cannot be expected that the members of the Commission from both sides will resolve political issues.

That is the responsibility of politicians. There was a public impression that the EU negotiations will depend on us. We have already had such a situation once in the past, specifically it was October 2021, here again we are witnessing it. The commission can give its expert opinion on certain topics related to history education in both countries. The commission ca not solve the political problems, those problems will be solved by the politicians, that is why they go to the polls and seek to get positions, and thus responsibility to solve those problems. We can only help. And this is where our role ends, Todorov told Sitel TV.

He stressed that the last meeting that took place in the past two days in Skopje, and the previous one in February in Sofia took place in a constructive atmosphere.