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Knyazhestvo Balgariya - Княжество България
Principality of Bulgaria

Shumi Maritsa

Summary of the Bulgarian position on the bilateral issues subject to the present embassy to the Sublime Porte

On paper, the Porte has yet to recognize the current situation, a logical continuation of the Bulgarian unification, and the official Turkish position is that Eastern Rumelia remains an organic and autonomous part of the Empire. This strains the ties the Principality and the Ottoman State are legally bound to maintain, and the legal subordination of Bulgaria to Constantinople has been subject to many doubts, brought forward by foreign elements, and Bulgarian and Turkish politicians alike. As it stands, Bulgaria admits begrudgingly that it is and remains subordinated to the Porte but refutes all claims that would mean to refute the legal and factual basis of the Bulgarian unification. Bulgiearian politicians, as well as our beloved Prince, view that the current unclear situation, with Bulgarian national unity being questioned and the exact nature of our ties with the Ottoman State being confused, must come to an end, one way or another.

The Bulgarian delegation has heard word from his Excellency the German diplomat that Berlin would desire to mediate the issue of the territories that are by all accounts ethnically Bulgarian and under Turkish control. Bulgaria doesn't dislike Germany - our dynastic ties show it clearly - but we remain closer to Russia, which the Porte views with distrust at best , and should a conference truly be needed and desired by the Ottoman authorities, then we would request Russian presence at the meetings as well. But this would then involve the Austro-Hungarians and possibly the Serbs as well, and Bulgaria views this as a strictly bilateral issue, unless the Porte desires to change it. Bulgaria has no ill-will towards the Sultan's government and we simply mean to rediscuss the situation between our two nations, not to launch yet another crisis.

The Vilayets of Monastir, Thrace and Salonica are predominantly inhabited by ethnic Bulgarians whose plea for unification has been made public by the recent spur of growth of Bulgarian pan-nationalist societies in these regions, and Bulgaria wholeheartedly supports them through non-violent means. Bulgaria should be home to all Bulgarians, and this bone of contention could easily be solved to the benefit of both parties. The Prince's government proposes to make Bulgaria the Western bulwark of Constantinople, and to do so the territories that were once given to Bulgaria in the San Stefano treaty appear to be the minimum Bulgaria requires to effectively protect the Sultan's European flank. This would ease all diplomatic and ethnic tensions, and Bulgaria could once more get closer to the Porte, in a wholly redefined legal context, and offer it protection, as it now stands threatened on all sides.

The Bulgarian position can easily be summarized. We wish for our unification to be recognized and for our bilateral relations to be redefined, with legal independence as a possible outcome but not as the only one we offer to speak of, we desire to regain our lost territories and to reunite with the Bulgarians that live in the three Vilayets, but we are willing to compromise and to settle for more moderate gains - or no gains at all, should our offer be turned down -, and we offer protection, safety and friendship to the empire that is currently looking for friends and struggling with its internal balance.

As I present you my regards, I wish to point out that these talks are to remain undisclosed, for the sake of both parties;

Dimitar Grekov, Plenipotentiary Minister of the Principality of Bugaria
For the Prince of Bulgaria, the Constitution and the Blessed Bulgar Nation

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