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 accelerate procedures for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship, with the overall duration of the procedures shortened from years to months. Bulgaria is on the verge of a new stage in its social, economic, and demographic development and an important aspect of this will be mass immigration. Spurred by the needs of an expanding Bulgarian economy, immigration is set to grow, whether spontaneously or managed by proactive Bulgarian policies to attract and integrate immigrants. Bulgarian citizens in the Republic of Macedonia represent a significant resource in this respect. Furthermore, the fact that Bulgarian citizenship has been granted to a now substantial and growing number of people in the Republic of Macedonia provides grounds under international law for Bulgaria to intervene to protect their rights and interests.

2.2.15. The activities of the Bulgarian Culture and Information Centre in Skopje should be expanded by investing the effort and resources needed to promote Bulgarian culture and policies in the Republic of Macedonia. Bulgarian culture and information centres should also be established in Tirana and Prishtina.

2.2.16. Incentives should be provided for the Bulgarian nongovernmental and business sectors to establish partnership relations with citizens of the Republic of Macedonia in their local Bulgarian cultural and educational initiatives (such as the creation of Bulgarian libraries or chitalishta, clubs etc.) in various cities, towns and villages in the country.

2.2.17. Prominent cultural, political and media leaders of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Macedonia should be supported and assistance provided to promote their work in both countries.

2.2.18. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church should be asked to contribute in the spirit of its historical traditions and capabilities to bringing the two nations closer together.

2.2.19. The issue of registration of the OMO Ilinden political party in Bulgaria has undoubtedly become one of the major irritants in bilateral relations in recent years. Both Skopje and human rights organizations like the Helsinki Committee have internationalized the issue to the detriment of Bulgaria. The refusal to register OMO Ilinden is likely to become increasingly difficult to defend, particularly after the future accession of the Republic of Macedonia to NATO and EU. While the case is mostly legal in nature, the Bulgarian position and the Bulgarian