[Bregovo.]

No. 619.-ARRANGEMENT between Servia and Bulgaria, for the settlement, by a Mixed Commission, of the questions respecting the Disputed Territory near Bregovo, &c. Signed at Nisch, 25th October, 1886.

2. Commercial Relations. A Servo-Bulgarian Commission to be appointed. 3. Political Emigrants on the Frontier.

4. Vakarel-Sofia-Tzaribrod Railway. Execution of Arrangement.

(Translation.)

THE Government of His Majesty the King of Servia having readily accepted the proposal of the Government of the Principality of Bulgaria respecting the re-establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries, and having thereby given proof of its disposition to renew relations of friendship and good neighbourship, the following Arrangement has been signed between

Colonel D. Franassovitch, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Servia, in the name of the Kingdom, on the one side, and

Dr. G. Stransky, Bulgarian Diplomatic Agent, who has been charged for the above purpose as Plenipotentiary of the Regents of the Principality of Bulgaria, on the other.

Disputed Territory near Bregovo. A Servo-Bulgarian Commission to be appointed.

ART. I. The Government of the Principality of Bulgaria, regretting the Bregovo incident,* which shook the relations of friendship between two neighbouring States, will evacuate the disputed territory opposite to that village, immediately after

* In 1884, differences arose between Bulgaria and Servia with reference to the right of possession to certain territory opposite to the village of Bregovo. The question was considered by the Representatives of AustriaHungary, Germany, and Russia, who recommended the cession of the place to Bulgaria in return for other territory or a money compensation. (See also note, p. 3191.)

[Bregovo.]

the signature of this document. The disputed territory will be declared neutral until a special Servo-Bulgarian Commission, which will be specially appointed for this purpose, shall have definitely settled this question.

Should the Commission allot the disputed territory to Servia, the Royal Government consents, in principle, to cede it to Bulgaria in return for a corresponding piece of territory elsewhere on the frontier.*

Commercial Relations.

ART. II. In order to ensure the mutual development of both countries in economical interests, and to strengthen still further the bonds which link them together, the two Contracting Parties bind themselves to appoint, within two months time, a mixed Commission to investigate the Commercial relations of the two States. Within a further period of six months a Commercial Treaty between the Kingdom of Servia and the Principality of Bulgaria will have to be concluded, which must be in accordance with the legal prescriptions of both States.

Pending the conclusion of this Treaty, the Contracting Parties bind themselves to render to each other, mutually, all possible facilities for the benefit of the Commercial interests of the two countries.

Political Emigrants on the Frontier.

ART. III. The Government of the Principality of Bulgaria binds itself to forbid the Servian political emigrants to reside within a zone of 60 kilomètres along the Servian frontier, and to stop any action on their part which might tend to disturb order and peace in the Kingdom of Servia. The Royal Government, on its side, accepts a like obligation respecting Bulgarian political emigrants who may be found in the Kingdom.

Vakarel-Sofia-Tzaribrod Railway.

ART. IV. The Government of the Principality of Bulgaria binds itself to use all its efforts in order that the Vakarel-SofiaTzaribrod Railway line be constructed as far as may be possible within the same time as the Pirot-Nisch line.

* See Protocol of 16th December, 1886 (No. 620), and Act of 30th March, 1887 (No. 620).

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Execution of Arrangement.

This Arrangement shall come into force immediately after it has been signed.

In witness whereof, the undersigned have signed it, and have affixed thereto their seals.

Executed, in duplicate, at Nisch, the 13th of October, 1886.

(L.S.) D. FRANASSOVITCH,

Minister for Foreign Affairs of the

Kingdom of Servia, Colonel.

(L.S.) DR. STRANSKY,

Diplomatic Agent of the Principality of Bulgaria.

[See note to No. 620.]

[Bregovo.]

No. 620.-ACT signed by the Governments of Bulgaria and. Servia, confirming the Decision, of 16th December, 1886, of the Commission appointed for the Settlement of the Bregovo Question. Signed at Sofia, 30th March, 1887.

(Translation.)

THE Servo-Bulgarian Commission, appointed in accordance with Article I of the Arrangement dated 13th October, 1886, for the purpose of settling the question of Bregovo (No. 619), having, at its sitting of the 16th December, 1886, agreed "that the meadow (prairie) of Bregovo in dispute shall form an integral part of the Kingdom of Servia, and that the ancient bed of the Timok between the said meadow and the Bulgarian village of Bregovo was the political frontier between the Kingdom of Servia and the Principality of Bulgaria," the Undersigned, duly authorised for that purpose, confirm by these presents the said Decision of the Commission, and declare that they accept it in the name of their respective Governments, without prejudice to the other engagements equally stipulated for in the above-mentioned Article.

In faith of which the Undersigned have affixed to the present Act their signatures and the seal of their Chanceries. Done in duplicate at Sofia the 30th March, 1887.

(L.S.) R. DANITCH.

(L.S.) G. D. NATCHOVITCH.

[M. Danitch was Servian Diplomatic Agent at Sofia, and M. Natchovitch the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs.]

NOTE. The Occupation by Bulgaria of the frontier post at Bregovo was one of the causes which led to the War between Servia and Bulgaria in November, 1885. In June, 1884, Diplomatic Relations were suspended between the two States, arising out of the following causes :-1. The colonization of Servian emigrants upon the frontier of the two countries, aggravated by the agitations of certain chiefs of the former revolution, who had chosen the capital of Bulgaria as a centre most favourable to their plots. 2. The occupation of a frontier post at Bregovo by an armed Bulgarian force, without following the course universally adopted in analogous cases of litigation between neighbouring and friendly countries; and, 3, The disputed political ownership of the said frontier post (near the village of Bregovo). The claim of Servia to the prairie of Bregovo was based on the

[Bregcvo.]

fact that, by the Hatti-chériff of December, 1833 (No. 169, vol. ii, p. 929), which was addressed by the Sultan Mahmoud II to Prince Milsch Obrenowitz, the Ottoman Porte ceded to Servia certain districts (contrées), and among them that of "Kraina, including Klionte," in which district the prairie of Bregovo was situated, whilst in the instructions which were at that time given to the Ottoman Boundary Commissioner, he was told that the new frontier would leave the mouth of the Timok, and follow the left bank of the river as far as Vrajogrutzé. Some time later, the River Timok changed its course in this neighbourhood, and formed a new bed to the left of the former one, when the Servian Government proceeded to establish a frontier post on the left bank of the former bed of the Timok. The change which took place in the bed of the river is shown on the map facing page 3190. The Treaty of Berlin of 13th July, 1878 (No. 530), Arts. 2 and 36, described the new boundaries to be assigned to Servia at this point as following the crest of the Balkans, by Cipronec Balkan and Stara Planina up to the old eastern frontier (l'ancienne frontière orientale); and the European Boundary Commissioners in their Act of the 19th August, 1879 (No. 551), also declared (§ 10) that from the height Ivanova Livada, as far as the Danube, the territory of the Principality of Servia was marked by the old (l'ancienne) frontier. But on the 3rd June, 1884, the right of Servia to this territory was disputed by Bulgaria, and the frontier post of Bregovo was occupied by Bulgarian troops, when the Servian picket, consisting of four men, retired to the left bank of the Timok. Satisfaction was demanded by Servia from Bulgaria, not only with regard to the frontier position, but also with regard to the Servian emigrants above alluded to, but the Bulgarians refused to satisfy the Servian demands. The Servian Diplomatic Agent was in conse sequence withdrawn from Bulgaria, and diplomatic relations suspended. The Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian Cabinets then offered their good offices to bring about a reconciliation, which was accepted; but it led to no result. On the 14th November, 1885 (No. 607), War was declared by Servia against Bulgaria, one of the causes of which was stated to be the forcible and unlawful seizure of the district of Bregovo by the Bulgarians. On the 3rd March, 1886, a Treaty of Peace was concluded between Bulgaria and Servia (No. 610). On the 25th October, 1886, an arrangement was come to between Bulgaria and Servia (No. 619) for the settlement of the question of the disputed territory by a Mixed Commission. On the 16th December, 1886, the Mixed Commission pronounced its decision (No. 620), which was confirmed on the 30th March, 1887 (No. 620), by an Act signed between the Bulgarian and Servian Governments. On the July, 1888, the Servo. Bulgarian Commission, which had been charged to regulate the conditions upon which the Bregovo and Balei Lands should be exchanged between Bulgaria and Servia, made their report (No. 625); and on the December, 1888, an Act was signed between the Bulgarian and Servian Governments for the mutual exchange of the disputed territories of Bregovo and Balei (Baleyska), the former being ceded by Servia to Bulgaria, and the latter by Bulgaria to Servia (No. 625). See map facing p. 3190.

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