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Foreign relations of Bulgaria

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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 187 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 Bucharest Nine, 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 was considering 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 that his team proposed to close seven embassies as part of a restructuring and austerity plan.

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 subsequent 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]

In November of 2020, Bulgaria vetoed the European Union's draft negotiating framework for North Macedonia's accession talks, thereby blocking the start of negotiation talks. Bulgarian officials cited longstanding disputes over history and language, and called on North Macedonia to acknowledge what they described as the Bulgarian roots of the Macedonian language and identity.[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]

EU comission/ parlament office Sofia Bulgaria

Bulgaria-EU relations

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]

German manufacturer Lürssen 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. The contract was valued at $593 million.[36] The vessels are 90 meters long and displace 2,300 tons.[37] 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:

More information #, Country ...
#CountryDate[38]
1 Russia7 July 1879
2 France8 July 1879
3 Romania21 July 1879
4 United Kingdom23 July 1879
5 Italy25 July 1879
6 Serbia6 September 1879
7 Belgium11 December 1879
8 Greece9 September 1880
9 Iran15 November 1897
10 United States19 September 1903
11 Netherlands8 July 1909
12 Spain5 August 1910
13 AlbaniaApril 1914
14 Sweden6 July 1914
15  Switzerland31 October 1915
16 Norway20 April 1918
17 Finland5 August 1918
18 Poland30 December 1918
19 AustriaNovember 1919
20 Hungary9 August 1920
21 Czech Republic27 September 1920
22 Egypt5 November 1925
23 Turkey30 October 1926[39]
24 Denmark17 April 1931
25 Argentina8 July 1931
26 Brazil17 September 1934
27 Chile10 January 1935[40]
28 Mexico6 January 1938
29 Japan2 October 1939[41]
30 Israel29 November 1948
31 North Korea29 November 1948
32 China3 October 1948
33 Vietnam8 February 1950
34 Mongolia 22 April 1950
35 Syria 24 August 1954
36 India 22 December 1954
37 Myanmar 18 November 1955
38 Ethiopia 3 June 1956
39 Sudan 1 July 1956[42]
40 Tunisia 30 August 1956
41 Indonesia 20 September 1956
42 Luxembourg 16 December 1956
43 Uruguay 6 August 1958[43]
44 Iraq 14 August 1958
45 Guinea 2 January 1959
46 Cambodia 18 September 1960
47 Somalia 28 September 1960
48 Cuba 8 October 1960
49 Mali 23 October 1960
50 Cyprus 30 October 1960
51 Democratic Republic of the Congo 22 February 1961
52 Ghana 10 August 1961
53 Afghanistan 12 June 1961
54 Morocco 1 September 1961
55 Sri Lanka 10 June 1962
56 Tanzania 16 June 1962
57 Benin 25 June 1962
58 Laos 13 September 1962
59 Sierra Leone 28 September 1962
60 Algeria 10 October 1962
61 Yemen 12 October 1962
62 Kuwait 15 June 1963
63 Libya 1 June 1963
64 Iceland 27 December 1963
65 Kenya 14 February 1964
66 Nigeria 10 March 1964
67 Uganda 17 May 1964
68 Jordan 9 October 1964
69 Burundi 28 December 1964
70 Republic of the Congo 31 December 1964
71 Pakistan 15 June 1965
72 Mauritania 28 December 1965
73 Canada 30 June 1966
74 Lebanon 19 September 1966
75 Singapore 18 October 1967
76 Ivory Coast 15 December 1967
77 Senegal 28 December 1967
78   Nepal 15 April 1968
79 Burkina Faso 29 May 1968
80 Zambia 20 October 1968
81 Malaysia 4 January 1969
82 Peru 18 April 1969
83 Central African Republic 9 January 1970
84 Costa Rica 9 October 1970
85 Bolivia 18 December 1970
86 Ecuador 28 April 1971
87 Malta 11 September 1971
88 Equatorial Guinea 15 September 1971
89 Bangladesh 31 January 1972
90 Australia 5 April 1972
91 Niger 5 March 1973
92 Panama 21 March 1973
93 Colombia 11 May 1973
94 Philippines 16 November 1973
95 Germany 21 December 1973
96 Guinea-Bissau 2 June 1974
97 Togo 19 June 1974
98 Portugal 26 June 1974[44]
99 Venezuela 2 August 1974
100 Thailand 10 August 1974
101 Liberia 1 November 1974
102 Mauritius 20 June 1975
103 Mozambique25 June 1975
104 Angola 20 November 1975
105 Gabon 15 May 1976
106 Madagascar 15 June 1976
107 Jamaica 22 March 1977
108 Guyana 25 March 1977
109 Comoros 6 June 1977
110 Nicaragua 16 November 1979
111 Rwanda 20 December 1979
112 São Tomé and Príncipe 25 December 1979[45]
113 Zimbabwe 18 April 1980
114 Cape Verde 5 June 1980
115 Grenada 9 June 1980
116 Lesotho 10 July 1980[45]
117 Seychelles 14 August 1980[45]
118 Botswana 16 August 1982
119 Cameroon 24 February 1984
120 Maldives 14 August 1984
121 New Zealand 9 October 1984
— State of Palestine 8 December 1988[46]
122 Chad 10 October 1989[45]
123 South Korea 23 March 1990
124 Namibia 6 June 1990
125 Ireland 11 June 1990
126 Qatar 16 October 1990[45]
127 Oman 17 June 1990
— Holy See 6 December 1990
128 Dominican Republic 14 June 1991
129 El Salvador 26 June 1991[45]
130 Estonia 10 September 1991
131 Latvia10 September 1991
132 Bahrain15 October 1991
133 United Arab Emirates19 October 1991
134 Lithuania 10 December 1991
135 Ukraine13 December 1991
136 Armenia 18 January 1992
137 South Africa 2 February 1992
138 Moldova 5 February 1992
139 Barbados 12 March 1992[45]
140 Belarus 26 March 1992
141 Turkmenistan 20 May 1992
142 Kyrgyzstan 20 May 1992
143 Azerbaijan 5 June 1992
144 Georgia 5 June 1992
145 Kazakhstan 5 June 1992
146 Croatia 13 August 1992
147 Slovenia 18 August 1992
148 Uzbekistan 12 September 1992
149 Paraguay 2 December 1992[45]
150 Slovakia 1 January 1993
151 Eritrea 31 May 1993
152 Tajikistan 24 August 1993
153 North Macedonia 22 December 1993
154 Guatemala 14 January 1994
155 Belize 15 February 1994
156 Brunei 14 April 1994
157 Liechtenstein 25 April 1994[47]
158 Andorra 14 June 1994
— Sovereign Military Order of Malta 11 November 1994[48]
159 Malawi 23 November 1994[45]
160 Eswatini 30 January 1995
161 Saudi Arabia 20 March 1995
162 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12 January 1996
163 Gambia 11 June 1999[49]
164 San Marino 17 April 2000[50]
165 Nauru 30 April 2001[45]
166 Antigua and Barbuda 7 June 2001[45]
167 Timor-Leste 21 January 2003[51]
168 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11 September 2003
169 Honduras 7 May 2004[45]
170 Suriname 20 September 2004
171 Montenegro 2 August 2006[52]
172 Djibouti 13 February 2007[53]
173 Bahamas 27 September 2007[45]
174 Monaco 14 February 2008[54]
— Kosovo 27 May 2008[55]
175 Solomon Islands 27 April 2011[45]
176 Dominica 28 April 2011[45]
177 Tuvalu 18 May 2011[45]
178 Trinidad and Tobago 20 September 2011[45]
179 South Sudan 28 September 2012[56]
180 Fiji 25 May 2015[45]
181 Vanuatu 24 June 2019[45]
182 Saint Lucia 5 November 2020[45]
183 Palau 7 July 2022[45]
184 Federated States of Micronesia 20 October 2022[45]
185 Samoa 8 May 2023[45]
186 Marshall Islands 12 June 2023[57]
187 Kiribati 17 July 2024[45]
188 Papua New Guinea 14 February 2025[45]
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Relations by region and country

Multilateral

More information Organization, Formal Relations Began ...
Organization Formal Relations Began Notes
Council of Europe Bulgaria joined the Council of Europe as a full member on 7 May 1992.
European Union See 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.

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Africa

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Algeria1962[58]
Angola20 November 1975
Egypt3 February 1926[64]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[65]
Morocco1 September 1961[66][full citation needed]
Nigeria1964[69]
  • 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.[70]
Sudan1 July 1956[71]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[72]
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Americas

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Argentina1931[75]
  • Argentina has an embassy in Sofia.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Buenos Aires.
Belize15 February 1994[76]
Brazil1934[78]See Brazil–Bulgaria relations
  • Brazil has an embassy in Sofia.
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Brasília.
Canada30 June 1966[79]See Bulgaria–Canada relations
Chile1935[83]
  • 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[84][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[85]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Havana.
  • Cuba has an embassy in Sofia.
Dominica
  • Bulgaria is represented in Dominica through its embassy in Havana, Cuba.[86]
Ecuador1971[87]
  • 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[88][full citation needed]See Bulgaria–Mexico relations
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Mexico City.[89]
  • Mexico is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Budapest, Hungary and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.[90]
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.[91]
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.[92]
United States1903[93]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.
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Asia

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Afghanistan12 June 1961[94]
Armenia18 January 1992[97]See Armenia–Bulgaria relations
Azerbaijan5 June 1992[100]See Azerbaijan–Bulgaria relations
China3 October 1949[103]See Bulgaria–China relations
Georgia5 June 1992[106]See Bulgaria–Georgia relations
India22 December 1954[109]See Bulgaria–India relations
Indonesia20 September 1956[112]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.[113]
Iran1897[114]
Iraq14 August 1958[118]See Bulgaria–Iraq relations
Israel4 December 1948[121]See Bulgaria–Israel relations
Japan12 October 1939[124]See Bulgaria–Japan relations
Kazakhstan5 June 1992[127]
  • Since 1994, Bulgaria had an embassy in Almaty, later moved to Nur-Sultan.[128]
  • Since November 2004, Kazakhstan has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Sofia.
Lebanon19 September 1966
Mongolia22 April 1950[131]See Bulgaria–Mongolia relations
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
  • Mongolia has an embassy in Sofia.
North Korea29 November 1948[132]
Pakistan15 June 1965[133]
  • Since 1974, Bulgaria has an embassy in Islamabad.[134]
  • Pakistan has an embassy in Sofia.
PalestineNovember 1988[135]
Saudi Arabia
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Riyadh.
  • Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Sofia.
South Korea23 March 1990[136]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.[137][138]
  • South Korea has an embassy in Sofia.[139][140]
  • Bulgaria–South Korea relations
Syria24 July 1954See Bulgaria–Syria relations
Thailand10 August 1974[143]
  • Since 1975, Bulgaria has an embassy in Bangkok.[144]
  • Thailand has an honorary consulate in Sofia.[145]
  • There is a Thai village in Bulgaria since 2006 [146]
Turkey18 October 1925[147]See Bulgaria–Turkey relations
United Arab Emirates19 October 1991[150]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[151]See Bulgaria–Uzbekistan relations
Vietnam8 February 1950[152]See Bulgaria–Vietnam relations
Yemen12 October 1962[155]See Bulgaria–Yemen relations
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Europe

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Albania1922[156]See Albania–Bulgaria relations
Andorra 14 July 1993[161]
Austria7 July 1879[163]See Austria–Bulgaria relations
Belarus26 March 1992[166]See Belarus–Bulgaria relations
  • Bulgaria recognized Belarus on December 23, 1991.[167]
  • Belarus has an embassy in Sofia and an honorary consulate in Burgas.[168]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Minsk.[169]
Belgium1879[170]See Belgium–Bulgaria relations
Bosnia and Herzegovina15 January 1992[173]See Bosnia and Herzegovina–Bulgaria relations
Croatia13 August 1992[176]See Bulgaria–Croatia relations
Cyprus30 October 1960[179]See Bulgaria–Cyprus relations
Czech Republic27 September 1920[181]See Bulgaria–Czech Republic relations
Denmark17 April 1931[185]See Bulgaria–Denmark relations
Estonia20 May 1921[186]See Bulgaria–Estonia relations
Finland5 August 1918[187]See Bulgaria–Finland relations
France8 July 1879[188]See Bulgaria–France relations
Germany1879[189]See Bulgaria–Germany relations
Greece1880[192]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 See See Holy See–Bulgaria relations
  • Diplomatic relations were restored on 6 December 1990.[193]
Hungary9 August 1920[194]See Bulgaria–Hungary relations
Iceland 27 December 1963[195] See Bulgaria–Iceland relations
Ireland11 July 1990[196]See Bulgaria–Ireland relations
Italy25 July 1879[199]See Bulgaria–Italy relations
Kosovo27 May 2008[55]See Bulgaria–Kosovo relations
Latvia24 May 1922[205]See Bulgaria–Latvia relations
Liechtenstein 19 November 1993[208]
Lithuania3 November 1924[209]See Bulgaria–Lithuania relations
Luxembourg 1956[212]
Malta10 September 1971[213]
Moldova5 February 1992[216]See Bulgaria–Moldova relations
Monaco 14 February 2008[218]
Montenegro2 August 2006[219]See Bulgaria–Montenegro relations
Netherlands1909[220]See Bulgaria–Netherlands relations
North Macedonia15 January 1992[223]See Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations
Norway20 August 1906[225]See Bulgaria–Norway relations
  • Since April 1918, Bulgaria has an embassy in Oslo.[226]
  • Norway is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
  • Both countries are full members of NATO.[158]
Poland30 December 1918[227]See Bulgaria–Poland relations
Portugal1893[230]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.[231]
  • Portugal has an embassy in Sofia.[232]
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.[160][158]
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[233]See Bulgaria–Russia relations
San Marino 17 April 2000[50]
Serbia18 January 1879[236][full citation needed]See Bulgaria–Serbia relations
Slovakia1 January 1993[237]See Bulgaria–Slovakia relations
  • Bulgaria recognized Slovakia on December 23, 1992.
  • Since February 1994, Bulgaria has an embassy in Bratislava.[238]
  • Since June 1994, Slovakia has an embassy in Sofia.[239]
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.[160][158]
Slovenia1992[240]See Bulgaria–Slovenia relations
Spain8 May 1910[243]See Bulgaria–Spain relations
Sweden6 June 1914[246]See Bulgaria–Sweden relations
  • Since 1915, Bulgaria has an embassy in Stockholm.[247]
  • Sweden has an embassy in Sofia and an honorary consulate in Varna.[248]
  • Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.[160]
  • Bulgaria fully supported Sweden's application to join NATO, which resulted in membership on 7 March 2024.
 Switzerland14 November 1916[249]See Bulgaria–Switzerland relations
Turkey18 October 1925[147]See Turkey in Asia Above
Ukraine13 December 1991[252]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[255]See Bulgaria–United Kingdom relations

Bulgaria established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 23 July 1879.[255]

  • Bulgaria maintains an embassy in London.[255]
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Bulgaria through its embassy in Sofia.[256]

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,[257] and a Strategic Partnership.[258]

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Oceania

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Australia5 April 1972[259]
  • Australia is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Athens, Greece and maintains an honorary consulate in Sofia.[260]
  • Bulgaria has an embassy in Canberra.[261]
New Zealand9 October 1984[262]
  • Bulgaria is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
  • New Zealand is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
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