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Foreign relations of Bulgaria

The foreign relations of Bulgaria are overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Relations headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Situated in Southeast Europe, Bulgaria is a member of both NATO (since 2004) and the European Union (since 2007).[1] It maintains diplomatic relations with 183 countries.[2]

Bulgaria has generally good foreign relations with its neighbours and has proved to be a constructive force in the region [citation needed] under socialist and democratic governments alike. Promoting regional stability, Bulgaria hosted a Southeast European Foreign Ministers meeting in July 1996, and an OSCE conference on Black Sea cooperation in November 1995. Bulgaria also participated in the 1996 South Balkan Defense Ministerial in Albania and it is active in the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative. Since the group's inception in 2015 Bulgaria has been a part of the B9 format, a subset of Eastern European NATO countries. The Republic of North Macedonia plays an important role in Bulgarian foreign and domestic policy due to historical, ethnic and cultural ties.[citation needed]

History

Flags of NATO, Bulgaria, European Union at the Military club of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

After the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, Bulgaria sought economic cooperative arrangements with Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain, as well as military cooperation with Romania, Greece, and Turkey. A start was made on easing tensions with its historical adversary Serbia.[3]

Due to close historical, cultural, and economic ties, Bulgaria sought a mutually beneficial relationship with Russia, on which it largely depends for energy supplies.[citation needed]

Bulgaria's EU Association Agreement came into effect in 1994, and Bulgaria formally applied for full EU membership in December 1995. During the 1999 EU summit in Helsinki, the country was invited to start membership talks with the Union. On January 1, 2007, Bulgaria officially became a member of the European Union. In 1996, Bulgaria acceded to the Wassenaar Arrangement controlling exports of weapons and sensitive technology to countries of concern and also was admitted to the World Trade Organization. Bulgaria is a member of the Zangger Committee and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. After a period of equivocation under a socialist government, in March 1997 a UDF-led caretaker cabinet applied for full NATO membership, which became a reality in April 2004.

Bulgaria and the United States signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2006 providing for military bases and training camps of the U.S. Army in Bulgaria, as part of the Pentagon's restructuring plan.[citation needed]

The HIV trial in Libya resulted in the release of Bulgarian nurses imprisoned by Muammar Gaddafi's government in Libya. French President Nicolas Sarkozy secured the release in exchange for several business deals.[4][5]

In June 2010, media reports claimed that Bulgaria considers closing a total of 30 of its diplomatic missions abroad. Currently, Bulgaria has 83 embassies, 6 permanent representations, 20 consular offices, and 2 diplomatic bureaus. The proposed closures were backed by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who described some of Bulgaria's embassies as useless.[6] In November 2010, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov formally announced his team proposes to close seven embassies as part of a plan for restructuring and austerity measures.

In March 2012 the Borisov administration decided to discontinue its plans to build with the help of Rosatom and Atomstroyexport the Belene nuclear station near the River Danube. At the time, Bulgaria depended on Russia for 89% of its petrol, 100% of natural gas and all of the nuclear fuel needed for its twin-reactor Kozloduy nuclear station.[7] In the sequential lawsuit, the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva ruled against Bulgaria.[8]

2014-2021

In August 2014 Bulgaria suspended its 930 km portion of the South Stream natural gas pipeline project with Gazprom until the project conforms to European Union law. In default of this project, Naftogaz and Ukraine stood to benefit.[9] Gas was to be pumped to the Black Sea port of Varna before it travelled overland to the Serbian border and northeast from there to Hungary, Slovenia and Austria.[10]

A Bulgarian weapons dealer named Emilian Gebrev was poisoned (along with his son and an employee[11]) in Sofia in spring 2015 using a substance believed to be the nerve agent Novichok,[12] and in 2020 three Russian nationals were charged in absentia. One of the three went by the name Sergei Fedotov,[13] which is the alias of Denis Sergeev (GRU officer).

The Bucharest Nine (or B9 format) is an organization founded on 4 November 2015 in Bucharest, Romania, at the initiative of the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis and the President of Poland Andrzej Duda during a bilateral meeting between them.[14] Its members are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Its apparition was mainly a result of a perceived aggressive attitude from Russia following the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its posterior intervention in eastern Ukraine both in 2014. All members of the B9 were either part of the former Soviet Union (USSR) or the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.[2][15]

Rampant corruption has led as recently as June 2019 to repeated rejection of Bulgaria's attempts to join the Schengen Area.[16]

After the Prespa Agreement between Macedonia and Greece went into force in 2018, Bulgaria broke the Friendship Agreement in which it would assist Macedonia with its EU integration, and instead vetoed the start of Macedonia's EU accession talks. Bulgaria now places demands, which some Macedonian observers label "outrageous", on Macedonia in which Macedonians must ‘admit’ their grandparents were Bulgarians and their language is in fact Bulgarian if they wish to continue their path into the EU.[17]

Bulgaria manufactures many types of Soviet-era ammunition, anti-tank missiles, and light arms, and has extensive trade ties with other recovering Soviet countries for this reason.[18]

The TurkStream natural gas pipeline project seemed to excite quite a few journalists.[19][20] The project's European landfall is Bulgaria.[20] TurkStream started shipping gas to Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia on 1 January 2020,[21] after the personal intervention of Vladimir Putin.[22] One journalist ran his article under the headline "How Bulgaria gave Gazprom the keys to the Balkans".[23]

In 2020, five Russian diplomats and the Russian military attaché were expelled on grounds that they were engaging in espionage.[24] Together with the two expelled on account of the Iliev scandal, eight Russian diplomats were expelled over 18 months to April 2021.[25]

2022-date

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has introduced a political taboo on the use of Russian narratives, including the "special operation" label favoured by Vladimir Putin. Those who think otherwise so have to bear heavy political responsibility: the Bulgarian Minister of Defense, Stefan Yanev, was the first to be punished. He allowed himself to declare, following Putin, that it is not "war" in Ukraine but a "military operation". Petkov dismissed the minister on March 1, a scant week after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[26]

Petkov recalled his ambassador to Russia, after Russian ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova conducted herself abysmally in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[26]

On 7 May 2022 the head of Bulgargaz, Ivan Topchiisky, announced that Bulgaria will be able to overcome its dependence on the Russian supplier Gazprom by the end of 2022. The demands of Gazprom to make payments for gas in rubles added fuel to the fire, and Sofia refused. Thus, Bulgaria turned out to be one of the two EU countries to which Russia cut off gas supplies, and this necessitated the urgent co-operation of EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen.[26]

In early 2022, Petkov was sympathetic to Volodymyr Zelensky's repeated requests for military aid during his country's battle against the Russians but he faced the refusal of his coalition partner the Bulgarian Socialist Party (which is the successor to the Soviet-era Bulgarian Communist Party[27]) and their leader Korneliya Ninova.[18] On 4 May, Parliament approved the continuation of repairs to damaged Ukrainian military equipment,[28] and will continue to support Ukraine's membership in the EU, as well as to the Ukrainian refugees from the war,[26] who numbered more than 56,000 as of 7 June.[29] Petkov noted Bulgaria's espousal of all sanctions against Russia, and would allow the use of the Port of Varna to transship goods that had been stifled by the Russian blockade of Odesa.[30]

Bulgarias wish to see an end of Russian gas in the EU contributed to a decision to apply a high transit tax on gas being pumped through the country to Hungary and Serbia in October 2023, which caused an upset even though the tax would probably be paid by Gazprom, not Hungary or Serbia.[31] In December, despite the European Commission agreeing that the law does not breach EU regulations, Bulgaria agreed to suspended the charge to avoid any issues during Bulgaria's pending Schengen Area application.[32]

Bulgaria-NATO relations

Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004,[33] three years before it acceded to the European Union.[24]

In June 2016 Borisov and Plevneliev vetoed Romania's idea of forming a NATO flotilla in the Black Sea,[26] one day after a stern warning from Russia.[34] NATO partners Romania and Turkey had favoured the idea,[34] along with Ukraine, which wanted to join any such initiative.[8] The refusal came on the day of a visit of President Klaus Iohannis of Romania.[8]

In 2018, Bulgaria ordered eight F-16V multirole fighter aircraft, to replace its aging fleet of Mig 29s. Together with service and training, they will cost $1.2 billion.[35] The fleet of Mig 29s are serviced by their Russian manufacturer.[25]

In December 2020 German manufacturer Lurssen was contracted to equip the Bulgarian Navy with new Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessels (aka Offshore Patrol Vessels) built at the Bulgarian shipyard MTG Dolphin JSC, west of Varna. Lürssen is the prime contractor for the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, while Swedish manufacturer Saab AB subcontracted to provide the electronics.[36] The contract was valued at $593 million.[37] The vessels are 90 meters long and displace 2,300 tons.[38] The first was launched in August 2023 with delivery scheduled for 2025.

In December 2020 one Russian military attaché in Sofia was alleged to have gathered information on US service members stationed on Bulgarian territory during military exercises.[13]

In 2021 six USAF F-16s operated from Bulgaria's Graf Ignatievo Air Base.[13]

On 18 March 18 Bulgaria and Romania amended their 2011 Agreement on cross-border air policing.[25]

In March 2021 six Bulgarians were charged with espionage and several Russian diplomats were expelled. The Bulgarian ring leader was a highly placed former official with the Ministry of Defense named Ivan Iliev, who corrupted his wife, and who trained military intelligence officers. Two Russian diplomats named Sergei Nikolashin and Vadim Bikov were expelled on 22 March 2021. Iliev was finally apprehended outside the Russian embassy, where he had intended to obtain asylum. Another arrest was that of Lyubomir Medarov who had until then been in charge of the office of classified communications and information of the Bulgarian parliament. Colonel Petar Petrov from the Ministry of Defense had access to the most highly classified documents about NATO activities. One observer characterized this event as the biggest story in Bulgarian defence since World War Two. Prosecutors alleged that the group "posed a serious threat to national security by collecting and handing to a foreign country state secrets of Bulgaria, NATO and the European Union." At the time of the arrests, several held senior positions in the Military Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Defence.[13][24][35]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Bulgaria maintains diplomatic relations with:

#CountryDate[39]
1  Russia7 July 1879
2  France8 July 1879
3  Romania21 July 1879
4  Italy25 July 1879
5  TurkeyJuly 1879
6  United Kingdom23 July 1879
7  Serbia6 September 1879
8  Belgium11 December 1879
9  Greece9 September 1880
10  Iran15 November 1897
11  United States19 September 1903
12  Netherlands8 July 1909
13  Spain5 August 1910
14  AlbaniaApril 1914
15  Sweden6 July 1914
16   Switzerland31 October 1915
17  Norway20 April 1918
18  Finland5 August 1918
19  Poland30 December 1918
20  AustriaNovember 1919
21  Hungary9 August 1920
22  Czech Republic27 September 1920
23  Egypt5 November 1925
24  Denmark17 April 1931
25  Argentina8 July 1931
26  Brazil17 September 1934
27  Chile1935
28  Mexico6 January 1938
29  Japan2 October 1939[40]
30  Israel29 November 1948
31  North Korea29 November 1948
32  China3 October 1948
33  Vietnam8 February 1950
34  Mongolia22 April 1950
35  Syria24 August 1954
36  India22 December 1954
37  Myanmar18 November 1955
38  Sudan1 June 1956
39  Ethiopia3 June 1956
40  Tunisia30 August 1956
41  Indonesia20 September 1956
42  Luxembourg16 December 1956
43  Uruguay21 May 1958
44  Iraq14 August 1958
45  Guinea2 January 1959
46  Cambodia18 September 1960
47  Somalia28 September 1960
48  Cuba8 October 1960
49  Mali23 October 1960
50  Cyprus30 October 1960
51  Democratic Republic of the Congo22 February 1961
52  Ghana10 August 1961
53  Afghanistan12 June 1961
54  Morocco1 September 1961
55  Sri Lanka10 June 1962
56  Tanzania16 June 1962
57  Benin25 June 1962
58  Laos13 September 1962
59  Sierra Leone28 September 1962
60  Algeria10 October 1962
61  Yemen12 October 1962
62  Kuwait15 June 1963
63  Libya1 June 1963
64  Iceland27 December 1963
65  Kenya14 February 1964
66  Nigeria10 March 1964
67  Uganda17 May 1964
68  Jordan9 October 1964
69  Burundi28 December 1964
70  Republic of the Congo31 December 1964
71  Pakistan15 June 1965
72  Mauritania28 December 1965
73  Canada30 June 1966
74  Lebanon19 September 1966
75  Singapore18 October 1967
76  Ivory Coast15 December 1967
77  Senegal28 December 1967
78    Nepal15 April 1968
79  Burkina Faso29 May 1968
80  Zambia20 October 1968
81  Malaysia4 January 1969
82  Peru18 April 1969
83  Central African Republic9 January 1970
84  Costa Rica9 October 1970
85  Bolivia18 December 1970
86  Ecuador28 April 1971
87  Malta11 September 1971
88  Equatorial Guinea15 September 1971
89  Bangladesh31 January 1972
90  Australia5 April 1972
91  Niger5 March 1973
92  Panama21 March 1973
93  Colombia11 May 1973
94  Philippines16 November 1973
95  Germany21 December 1973
96  Guinea-Bissau2 June 1974
97  Togo19 June 1974
98  Portugal26 June 1974[41]
99  Venezuela2 August 1974
100  Thailand10 August 1974
101  Liberia1 November 1974
102  Mauritius20 June 1975
103  Mozambique25 June 1975
104  Angola20 November 1975
105  Gabon15 May 1976
106  Madagascar15 June 1976
107  Jamaica22 March 1977
108  Guyana25 March 1977
109  Comoros6 June 1977
110  Nicaragua16 November 1979
111  Rwanda20 December 1979
112  São Tomé and Príncipe23 December 1979
113  Zimbabwe18 April 1980
114  Cape Verde5 June 1980
115  Grenada9 June 1980
116  Lesotho10 June 1980
117  Seychelles15 August 1980
118  Botswana16 August 1982
119  Cameroon24 February 1984
120  Maldives14 August 1984
121  New Zealand9 October 1984
—  State of PalestineDecember 1988[42]
122  Chad10 October 1989[43]
123  South Korea23 March 1990
124  Namibia6 June 1990
125  Ireland11 June 1990
126  Oman17 June 1990
127  Qatar17 October 1990
–  Holy See6 December 1990
128  Dominican Republic14 June 1991
129  El Salvador27 June 1991
130  Estonia10 September 1991
131  Latvia10 September 1991
132  United Arab Emirates10 October 1991
133  Bahrain15 October 1991
134  Lithuania10 December 1991
135  Ukraine13 December 1991
136  Armenia18 January 1992
137  South Africa2 February 1992
138  Moldova5 February 1992
139  Barbados12 March 1992[43]
140  Belarus26 March 1992
141  Turkmenistan20 May 1992
142  Kyrgyzstan20 May 1992
143  Azerbaijan5 June 1992
144  Georgia5 June 1992
145  Kazakhstan5 June 1992
146  Croatia13 August 1992
147  Slovenia18 August 1992
148  Uzbekistan12 September 1992
149  Paraguay7 December 1992
150  Slovakia1 January 1993
151  Eritrea31 May 1993
152  Tajikistan24 August 1993
153  North Macedonia22 December 1993
154  Guatemala14 January 1994
155  Belize15 February 1994
156  Brunei14 April 1994
157  Liechtenstein26 April 1994
158  Andorra14 June 1994
–  Sovereign Military Order of Malta[44]11 November 1994
159  Malawi23 November 1994[43]
160  Eswatini30 January 1995
161  Saudi Arabia20 March 1995
162  Bosnia and Herzegovina12 January 1996
163  San Marino17 April 2000[45]
164  Nauru30 April 2001[43]
165  Antigua and Barbuda7 June 2001[43]
166  East Timor21 January 2003[46]
167  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines11 September 2003
168  Honduras7 May 2004[43]
169  Suriname20 September 2004
170  Montenegro2 August 2006[47]
171  Djibouti13 February 2007[48]
172  Bahamas27 September 2007[43]
–  Kosovo27 May 2008[49]
173  Solomon Islands27 April 2011[43]
174  Dominica28 April 2011[43]
175  Tuvalu18 May 2011[43]
176  Trinidad and Tobago20 September 2011[43]
177  Fiji25 May 2015[43]
178  Monaco14 February 2018[50]
179  Vanuatu24 June 2019[43]
180  Saint Lucia5 November 2020[43]
181  Palau7 July 2022[43]
182  Federated States of Micronesia20 October 2022[43]
183  Samoa8 May 2023[43]
184  Marshall Islands12 June 2023[51]

Bulgaria has not established diplomatic relations with  Bhutan,  Gambia,  Haiti,  Kiribati,  Papua New Guinea,  Saint Kitts and Nevis,  South Sudan, and  Tonga.

Relations by region and country

Multilateral

OrganizationFormal Relations BeganNotes
 European UnionSee 2007 enlargement of the European Union

Bulgaria joined the European Union as a full member on 1 January 2007.

 NATO

Bulgaria joined NATO as a full member on 29 March 2004.

Africa

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
 Algeria1962[52]
 Angola20 November 1975
 Egypt3 February 1926[58]See Bulgaria–Egypt relations
 Ethiopia
 Kenya
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Kenya from its embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  • Kenya is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Berlin, Germany.
 Libya30 June 1963[59]
 Morocco1 September 1961[60][full citation needed]
 Nigeria1964[63]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Abuja.
  • Nigeria is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
 South Africa2 February 1992See Bulgaria–South Africa relations
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Pretoria
  • Since 1992, South Africa has an embassy in Sofia.[64]
 Sudan1 July 1956[65]See Bulgaria–Sudan relations
  • In 1967, Bulgaria sent the first Bulgarian ambassador to Khartoum. The activities of the Bulgarian embassy in Khartoum were terminated in April 1990.
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Sudan from its embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
  • Sudan has an embassy in Sofia.
 Tunisia1956[66]

Americas

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
 Argentina1931[69]
  • Argentina has an embassy in Sofia.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Buenos Aires.
 Belize15 February 1994[70]
 Brazil1934[72]
  • Brazil has an embassy in Sofia.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Brasília.
 Canada30 June 1966[73]See Bulgaria–Canada relations
 Chile1935[77]
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Chile from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Chile is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.
 Colombia8 May 1973[78][full citation needed]
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Colombia from its embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
  • Colombia is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Warsaw, Poland.
 Cuba1960[79]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Havana.
  • Cuba has an embassy in Sofia.
 Dominica
  • Bulgaria is represented in Dominica through its embassy in Havana, Cuba.[80]
 Ecuador1971[81]
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Ecuador from its embassy in Brasilia, Brazil.
  • Ecuador is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Budapest, Romania and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.
 Mexico6 January 1938[82][full citation needed]See Bulgaria–Mexico relations
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Mexico City.[83]
  • Mexico is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Budapest, Hungary and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.[84]
 Paraguay2 December 1992
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Paraguay is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Rome, Italy.[85]
 Peru1969
  • Peru closed its embassy in Sofia for economic reasons in 2003.
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Peru from its embassy in Brasilia, Brazil.
  • Peru is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Athens, Greece.[86]
 United States1903[87]See Bulgaria–United States relations

Bulgarian-American relations, first formally established in 1903, have moved from missionary activity and American support for Bulgarian independence in the late 19th century to the growth of trade and commerce in the early 20th century, to reluctant hostility during World War I and open war and bombardment in World War II, to ideological confrontation during the Cold War, to partnership with the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and growing political, military and economic ties in the beginning of the 21st century.

 Uruguay
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Uruguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Uruguay is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.
 Venezuela
  • Bulgaria is accredited to Venezuela from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  • Venezuela is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

Asia

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
 Afghanistan12 June 1961[88]
 Armenia18 January 1992[91]See Armenia–Bulgaria relations
 Azerbaijan5 June 1992[94]See Azerbaijan–Bulgaria relations
 China3 October 1949[97]See Bulgaria–China relations
 Georgia5 June 1992[100]See Bulgaria–Georgia relations
 India22 December 1954[103]See Bulgaria–India relations
 Indonesia20 September 1956[106]See Bulgaria–Indonesia relations
  • Bulgaria was among the States that recognized Indonesia's independence on September 21, 1956, and the two countries established diplomatic relations.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Jakarta since October 1958 and Indonesia has had an embassy in Sofia since 1960.[107]
 Iran1897[108]
 Iraq14 August 1958[112]See Bulgaria–Iraq relations
 Israel4 December 1948[115]
 Japan12 October 1939[118]See Bulgaria–Japan relations
 Kazakhstan5 June 1992[121]
  • Since 1994, Bulgaria had an embassy in Almaty, later moved to Nur-Sultan.[122]
  • Since November 2004, Kazakhstan has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Sofia.
 Lebanon19 September 1966
 Mongolia22 April 1950[125]See Bulgaria–Mongolia relations
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
  • Mongolia has an embassy in Sofia.
 North Korea29 November 1948[126]
 Pakistan15 June 1965[127]
  • Since 1974, Bulgaria has an embassy in Islamabad.[128]
  • Pakistan has an embassy in Sofia.
 PalestineNovember 1988[129]
 South Korea23 March 1990[130]See Bulgaria–South Korea relations
  • The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Bulgaria began on 23 March, 1990.
  • During the Cold War, the Republic of Bulgaria had diplomatic relations only with North Korea however, after the Cold War, Bulgaria has also had diplomatic relations with South Korea.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Seoul.[131][132]
  • South Korea has an embassy in Sofia.[133][134]
  • Bulgaria–South Korea relations
 Syria24 July 1954See Bulgaria–Syria relations
 Thailand10 August 1974[137]
  • Since 1975, Bulgaria has an embassy in Bangkok.[138]
  • Thailand has an honorary consulate in Sofia.[139]
  • There is a Thai village in Bulgaria since 2006 [140]
 Turkey18 October 1925[141]See Bulgaria–Turkey relations
 United Arab Emirates19 October 1991[144]See Bulgaria–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Bulgaria has a consulate-general in Dubai.
  • United Arab Emirates is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
 Uzbekistan12 September 1992[145]See Bulgaria–Uzbekistan relations
 Vietnam8 February 1950[146]See Bulgaria–Vietnam relations
 Yemen12 October, 1962[149]See Bulgaria–Yemen relations

Europe

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
 Albania1922[150]See Albania–Bulgaria relations
 Andorra14 July 1993[155]
 Austria7 July 1879[157]See Austria–Bulgaria relations
 Belarus26 March 1992[160]See Belarus–Bulgaria relations
  • Bulgaria recognized Belarus on December 23, 1991.[161]
  • Belarus has an embassy in Sofia and an honorary consulate in Burgas.[162]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Minsk.[163]
 Belgium1879[164]See Belgium–Bulgaria relations
 Bosnia and Herzegovina15 January 1992[167]See Bosnia and Herzegovina–Bulgaria relations
 Croatia13 August 1992[170]See Bulgaria–Croatia relations
 Cyprus30 October 1960[173]See Bulgaria–Cyprus relations
 Czech Republic27 September 1920[175]See Bulgaria–Czech Republic relations
 Denmark17 April 1931[179]See Bulgaria–Denmark relations
 Estonia20 May 1921[180]See Bulgaria–Estonia relations
 Finland5 August 1918[181]
 France8 July 1879[182]See Bulgaria–France relations
 Germany1879[184]See Bulgaria–Germany relations
 Greece1880[187]See Bulgaria–Greece relations

Relations between Greece and Bulgaria have been very cordial since the 1950s, due to the strong cultural, political and religious ties between the two nations, preceded in the earlier 20th century by periods of intense mutual hostility. Since Bulgaria's independence in 1876, Greece and Bulgaria faced each other in three major wars: the Second Balkan War, the First World War and the Second World War, in which Bulgaria briefly occupied parts of northern Greece.

 Holy SeeSee Holy See–Bulgaria relations
  • Diplomatic relations were restored on 6 December, 1990.[188]
 Hungary9 August 1920[189]See Bulgaria–Hungary relations
 Iceland27 December 1963[190]See Bulgaria–Iceland relations
 Ireland11 July 1990[191]See Bulgaria–Ireland relations
 Italy25 July 1879[194]See Bulgaria–Italy relations
 Kosovo27 May 2008[49]See Bulgaria–Kosovo relations
 Latvia24 May 1922[200]See Bulgaria–Latvia relations
 Liechtenstein19 November 1993[203]
 Lithuania3 November 1924[204]See Bulgaria–Lithuania relations
 Luxembourg1956[207]
 Malta10 September 1971[208]
 Moldova5 February 1992[211]See Bulgaria–Moldova relations
 Monaco14 February 2008[213]
 Montenegro2 August 2006[214]See Bulgaria–Montenegro relations
 Netherlands1909[215]See Bulgaria–Netherlands relations
 North Macedonia15 January 1992[218]See Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations
 Norway20 August 1906[220]See Bulgaria–Norway relations
  • Since April 1918, Bulgaria has an embassy in Oslo.[221]
  • Norway is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
  • Both countries are full members of NATO.[152]
 Poland30 December 1918[222]See Bulgaria–Poland relations
 Portugal1893[225]See Bulgaria–Portugal relations
  • Relations were severed in 1945 and were restored on June 24, 1974.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Lisbon.[226]
  • Portugal has an embassy in Sofia.[227]
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.[154][152]
 RomaniaSee Bulgaria–Romania relations

Bulgarian relations with Romania featured regular official visits by the two presidents. Romanian-Bulgarian relations are developing "very intensively" because of EU accession, since Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. Romania and Bulgaria have never had any serious conflicts, other than a territorial dispute over the Dobruja region in 1913–1940, now largely forgotten. Vidin and Calafat have perhaps the closest relations of any towns along this lower section of the Danube. There is a regular ferry service, so locals here have regular interchange with their neighbors across the border.

  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Bucharest.
  • Romania has an embassy in Sofia.
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union and of NATO.
 Russia7 July 1879[228]See Bulgaria–Russia relations
 San Marino17 April 2000[231]
 Serbia18 January 1879[232][full citation needed]See Bulgaria–Serbia relations
 Slovakia1 January 1993[233]See Bulgaria–Slovakia relations
  • Bulgaria recognized Slovakia on December 23, 1992.
  • Since February 1994, Bulgaria has an embassy in Bratislava.[234]
  • Since June 1994, Slovakia has an embassy in Sofia.[235]
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.[154][152]
 Slovenia1992[236]See Bulgaria–Slovenia relations
 Spain8 May 1910[239]See Bulgaria–Spain relations
 Sweden6 June 1914[242]See Bulgaria–Sweden relations
  Switzerland14 November 1916[245]See Bulgaria–Switzerland relations
 Turkey18 October 1925[141]See Turkey in Asia Above
 Ukraine13 December 1991[248]See Bulgaria–Ukraine relations

Ukrainian-Bulgarian relations are characterized by a constant active political dialogue at the highest level. Ukraine and Bulgaria actively cooperate and provide mutual support within the framework of regional and international organizations, such as the BSEC, the Central European Initiative, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the United Nations.

Bulgaria, has confirmed readiness to promote the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. It occupies an important place in the Balkan direction of Ukraine's foreign policy interests, which is due to the geopolitical position of the country in the Balkans, the proximity of interests in the Black Sea and the Danube region. Ukraine and Bulgaria are united by ethnic, linguistic and religious components, traditional economic, trade and cultural-historical ties.

Bulgaria is an important market for Ukrainian products and the largest trade and economic partner of Ukraine in the Balkan region. In 2017, foreign trade between Ukraine and Bulgaria demonstrated growth dynamics.

 United Kingdom23 July 1879[251]See Bulgaria–United Kingdom relations

Bulgaria established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 23 July 1879.[251]

  • Bulgaria maintains an embassy in London.[251]
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Bulgaria through its embassy in Sofia.[252]

Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement.[253]

Oceania

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
 Australia5 April 1972[254]
  • Australia is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Athens, Greece and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.[255]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Canberra.[256]
 New Zealand9 October 1984[257]
  • Bulgaria is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
  • New Zealand is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.

See also

References

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