Sat, Jul 04 2009

Ataka says Serbia, Macedonia EU accession should hinge on returning territories to Bulgaria

Thu, Nov 27 2008 14:02 CET byRene Beekman 201 Views 1 Comment

Dimitar Stoyanov, a member of European Parliament for Bulgaria's ultra-nationalist party Ataka, dropped a declaration of the party in the mailbox of the Serbian ambassador to Sofia after the latter refused to meet Stoyanov, Focus news agency reported.

Ataka had announced that it would deliver a declaration to the Serbian ambassador on November 27 2008, demanding the return of the western territories that the country ceded following World War 1.

The party had picked the date because it was 89 years after the signing of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine.

The treaty, signed on November 27 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine in France, established borders between Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Under the treaty, Bulgaria ceded its Aegean coastline to Greece, and its western territories, which include the present-day towns of Dimitrovgrad, Bosilegrad and Strumica, to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, present-day Serbia and Macedonia.

The country was also forced to reduce its army to 20 000 men and pay more than $400 million in reparations. The treaty is known in Bulgaria as the Second National Catastrophe.

The declaration Ataka that attempted to deliver to the Serbian ambassador said that the party demanded the return of the territories to be settled before European Union accession talks with Serbia would start.

Volen Siderov, leader of Ataka, was quoted by Focus news agency as saying that Macedonia should only be accepted as an EU member state after the Strumica region would be returned to Bulgaria.

Comments

Anonymous hibo m Mon, Feb 09 2009 12:01 CET
Inappropriate comment?

i think its all rubbish its the europian union not the world wide union

Write comment

Name: Comment:
Send your comment

More in this category

Foreign press ridicules Bulgaria's electoral process

Foreign press remark on corruption in Bulgaria and note the absurdity of alleged criminals running for high office.

Justice secretary Jack Straw refuses pardon for Michael Shields

Controversial incident hinged on defence plank of mistaken identity but Straw appears unconvinced.

EU launches 140 million euro call for greener energy research

The EU launches a 140 million euro call for proposals for cutting-edge research aiming to put hydrogen buses, clean power stations and greener laptops on the market two to five years earlier than planned.

Karl Malden, mentor to Michael Douglas, dies at 97

Veteran actor had one of the longest careers in Hollywood and also one of the most enduring marriages, having recently celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary.

Strong earthquake shakes Greek island of Crete

Earthquake rocks Crete but no reports of casualties as yet