A joint Bulgarian-Turkish commission on the settlement of outstanding bilateral issues from the past had its first session on Monday at the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara.

The establishment of a joint Bulgarian - Turkish commission was agreed by the presidents of the two countries during an official visit of Bulgaria's President Georgi Purvanov to Ankara on December 16-17, 2008, at the invitation of Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

Both Bulgaria and Turkey have problems, which remained unsolved in the past. However, they could be solved, as the general picture of bilateral relations is very good, Gul said after his discussions with Purvanov.

The Bulgarian part of the delegation includes 25 experts led by Deputy Foreign Minister Lyubomir Kyutchukov. The Turkish delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Ertugrul Apakan.

The main problem for the Bulgarian side is compensations for Thracian Bulgarians, who emigrated from Turkey to Bulgaria after the Balkan War, while the protection of the social rights of Bulgarian emigrants to Turkey is of the greatest importance for the Turkish side.

The joint Bulgarian-Turkish Commission will continue its work according to an agreed schedule.

Source: BTA