Samuel's Remains to Sofia: Why Skopje Is Quiet on October 3
Athens and Sofia have signed a memorandum exchanging what are said to be Tsar Samuel's remains for 48 church artifacts — a deal struck without consulting Skopje, which has issued no official reaction.
Athens and Sofia have signed a memorandum under which what are said to be the remains of Tsar Samuel — a medieval ruler whose legacy is the subject of a long-running dispute between North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece — will be transferred from Greece to Bulgaria and buried in Sofia on October 3, in exchange for 48 church and cultural artifacts Athens receives from Sofia.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev presented the deal as a significant diplomatic achievement, stressing that the remains are finally coming "home." The agreement was reached without consulting Skopje — even though the memory and legacy of Tsar Samuel are directly tied to Macedonia's own historiographical perspective, on which Macedonian officials have issued no official reaction as of this writing.
Skopje's silence comes at a sensitive moment — just as questions of shared history and identity form part of the conditions Bulgaria has set for North Macedonia's path toward the EU through the demanded constitutional amendments. The absence of an official comment leaves room for varied interpretations in public discourse, at a time when symbolic historical questions continue to directly shape ongoing diplomatic relations in the region.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 1, 2026
