Sofia, February 3 (BTA) - The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia share the opinion that the joint commission on history and culture remains of key importance for the advancement of bilateral relations, the Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Sofia, Mitko Dimitrov, told a news briefing here Thursday. He thus dismissed the idea of North Macedonia's co-chair of the joint commission that the work of this commission could be suspended for a year or two to allow for a normalization of bilateral relations.

Dimitrov said that the work of the commission is a key aspect in the implementation of the 2017 goodneighbourliness treaty and seeks to gradually overcome the stereotypes of the past.

He also said that being independent scientists and experts, and citizens of democratic societies, the commission members are free to make public their own positions - but these positions are not binding for the governments of the two countries and should not be interpreted as an official proposal by either side.

"We welcome the readiness of the two commission co-chairs, as declared on January 25, to step up contacts within the commission. We urge its members to work dynamically and fruitfully in the interest of the citizens of Bulgaria and North Macedonia," Dimitrov said.

He added that the Foreign Ministers are ready to publicly support the efforts of the commission, including by joint commemoration of key personalities and dates in the shared history of the two countries.

On Friday, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska, Deputy Culture Minister Velislava Petrova and the chair of the parliamentary culture committee will be visiting North Macedonia for observances of the 150th birth anniversary of revolutionary Gotse Delchev and the opening of a BTA press club in Skopje.

Taking a reporter's question, Dimitrov said that Genchovska will be paying floral tribute to Gotse Delchev's grave and that the Culture Minister of North Macedonia will be there as well but Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani is out of the country. LN///