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Theforeign relations ofBulgaria are overseen by theMinistry of Foreign Relations headed by theMinister of Foreign Affairs. Situated inSoutheast Europe, Bulgaria is a member of bothNATO (since 2004) and theEuropean Union (since 2007).[1] It maintains diplomatic relations with 183 countries.[2]
Bulgaria has generally goodforeign relations with its neighbours and has proved to be a constructive force in the region[citation needed] undersocialist anddemocratic governments alike. Promoting regional stability, Bulgaria hosted a Southeast European Foreign Ministers meeting in July 1996, and anOSCE conference onBlack Sea cooperation in November 1995. Bulgaria also participated in the 1996 SouthBalkan Defense Ministerial inAlbania and it is active in theSoutheast European Cooperative Initiative. Since the group's inception in 2015 Bulgaria has been a part of theB9 format, a subset of Eastern European NATO countries. TheRepublic of North Macedonia plays an important role in Bulgarian foreign and domestic policy due to historical, ethnic and cultural ties.[citation needed]
After thefall 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 withRussia, on which it largely depends for energy supplies.[citation needed]
Bulgaria'sEU 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 theWassenaar Arrangement controlling exports of weapons and sensitive technology to countries of concern and also was admitted to theWorld Trade Organization. Bulgaria is a member of theZangger Committee and theNuclear Suppliers Group. After a period of equivocation under a socialist government, in March 1997 aUDF-led caretaker cabinet applied for fullNATO 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 theU.S. Army in Bulgaria, as part of the Pentagon's restructuring plan.[citation needed]
TheHIV trial in Libya resulted in the release of Bulgarian nurses imprisoned byMuammar Gaddafi's government in Libya. French PresidentNicolas 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 MinisterBoyko Borisov, who described some of Bulgaria's embassies as useless.[6] In November 2010, Bulgaria's Foreign MinisterNikolay 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 ofRosatom andAtomstroyexport theBelene nuclear station near theRiver 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-reactorKozloduy nuclear station.[7] In the sequential lawsuit, theInternational Court of Arbitration at theInternational Chamber of Commerce inGeneva ruled against Bulgaria.[8]
In August 2014 Bulgaria suspended its 930 km portion of theSouth Streamnatural gas pipeline project withGazprom until the project conforms to European Union law. In default of this project,Naftogaz andUkraine 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 namedEmilian Gebrev was poisoned (along with his son and an employee[11]) in Sofia in spring 2015 using a substance believed to be the nerve agentNovichok,[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 ofDenis Sergeev (GRU officer).
TheBucharest Nine (or B9 format) is an organization founded on 4 November 2015 inBucharest,Romania, at the initiative of thePresident of RomaniaKlaus Iohannis and thePresident of PolandAndrzej Duda during a bilateral meeting between them.[14] Its members areBulgaria, theCzech Republic,Estonia,Hungary,Latvia,Lithuania,Poland, Romania andSlovakia. Its apparition was mainly a result of a perceived aggressive attitude fromRussia following theannexation of Crimea fromUkraine and its posteriorintervention in eastern Ukraine both in 2014. All members of the B9 were either part of the formerSoviet Union (USSR) or the Soviet-ledWarsaw Pact.[2][15]
Rampant corruption has led as recently as June 2019 to repeated rejection of Bulgaria's attempts to join theSchengen Area.[16]
After thePrespa Agreement between North Macedonia and Greece went into force in 2018, Bulgaria broke theFriendship Agreement in which it would assist North Macedonia with its EU integration, and instead vetoed the start of North Macedonia's EU accession talks. Bulgaria now places demands, which some Macedonian observers label "outrageous", on North 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]
TheTurkStream 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 ofVladimir 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]
Prime MinisterKiril Petkov has introduced a political taboo on the use of Russian narratives, including the "special operation" label favoured byVladimir 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 theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[26]
Petkov recalled his ambassador to Russia, after Russian ambassador to BulgariaEleonora Mitrofanova conducted herself abysmally in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[26]
On 7 May 2022 the head ofBulgargaz,Ivan Topchiisky, announced that Bulgaria will be able to overcome its dependence on the Russian supplierGazprom by the end of 2022. The demands of Gazprom to makepayments 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 CommissionerUrsula von der Leyen.[26]
In early 2022, Petkov was sympathetic toVolodymyr Zelensky's repeated requests for military aid during his country'sbattle against the Russians but he faced the refusal of his coalition partner theBulgarian Socialist Party (which is the successor to theSoviet-eraBulgarian Communist Party[27]) and their leaderKorneliya 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 thePort 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 byGazprom, 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 pendingSchengen Area application.[32]
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Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004,[33] three years before it acceded to theEuropean Union.[24]
In June 2016 Borisov andPlevneliev vetoed Romania's idea of forming a NATO flotilla in theBlack Sea,[26] one day after a stern warning from Russia.[34] NATO partnersRomania andTurkey had favoured the idea,[34] along withUkraine, which wanted to join any such initiative.[8] The refusal came on the day of a visit of PresidentKlaus Iohannis of Romania.[8]
In 2018, Bulgaria ordered eightF-16V multirole fighter aircraft, to replace its aging fleet ofMig 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 manufacturerLürssen was contracted to equip the Bulgarian Navy with new Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessels (akaOffshore Patrol Vessels) built at the Bulgarian shipyard MTG Dolphin JSC, west ofVarna. Lürssen is the prime contractor for the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, while Swedish manufacturerSaab 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'sGraf 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]
List of countries which Bulgaria maintains diplomatic relations with:
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Country | Date[39] |
| 1 |  Russia | 7 July 1879 |
| 2 |  France | 8 July 1879 |
| 3 |  Romania | 21 July 1879 |
| 4 |  United Kingdom | 23 July 1879 |
| 5 |  Italy | 25 July 1879 |
| 6 |  Serbia | 6 September 1879 |
| 7 |  Belgium | 11 December 1879 |
| 8 |  Greece | 9 September 1880 |
| 9 |  Iran | 15 November 1897 |
| 10 |  United States | 19 September 1903 |
| 11 |  Netherlands | 8 July 1909 |
| 12 |  Spain | 5 August 1910 |
| 13 |  Albania | April 1914 |
| 14 |  Sweden | 6 July 1914 |
| 15 |  Switzerland | 31 October 1915 |
| 16 |  Norway | 20 April 1918 |
| 17 |  Finland | 5 August 1918 |
| 18 |  Poland | 30 December 1918 |
| 19 |  Austria | November 1919 |
| 20 |  Hungary | 9 August 1920 |
| 21 |  Czech Republic | 27 September 1920 |
| 22 |  Egypt | 5 November 1925 |
| 23 |  Turkey | 30 October 1926[40] |
| 24 |  Denmark | 17 April 1931 |
| 25 |  Argentina | 8 July 1931 |
| 26 |  Brazil | 17 September 1934 |
| 27 |  Chile | 10 January 1935[41] |
| 28 |  Mexico | 6 January 1938 |
| 29 |  Japan | 2 October 1939[42] |
| 30 |  Israel | 29 November 1948 |
| 31 |  North Korea | 29 November 1948 |
| 32 |  China | 3 October 1948 |
| 33 |  Vietnam | 8 February 1950 |
| 34 |  Mongolia | 22 April 1950 |
| 35 |  Syria | 24 August 1954 |
| 36 |  India | 22 December 1954 |
| 37 |  Myanmar | 18 November 1955 |
| 38 |  Sudan | 1 June 1956 |
| 39 |  Ethiopia | 3 June 1956 |
| 40 |  Tunisia | 30 August 1956 |
| 41 |  Indonesia | 20 September 1956 |
| 42 |  Luxembourg | 16 December 1956 |
| 43 |  Uruguay | 21 May 1958 |
| 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[43] |
| 99 |  Venezuela | 2 August 1974 |
| 100 |  Thailand | 10 August 1974 |
| 101 |  Liberia | 1 November 1974 |
| 102 |  Mauritius | 20 June 1975 |
| 103 |  Mozambique | 25 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[44] |
| 113 |  Zimbabwe | 18 April 1980 |
| 114 |  Cape Verde | 5 June 1980 |
| 115 |  Grenada | 9 June 1980 |
| 116 |  Lesotho | 10 July 1980[44] |
| 117 |  Seychelles | 14 August 1980[44] |
| 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[45] |
| 122 |  Chad | 10 October 1989[44] |
| 123 |  South Korea | 23 March 1990 |
| 124 |  Namibia | 6 June 1990 |
| 125 |  Ireland | 11 June 1990 |
| 126 |  Qatar | 16 October 1990[44] |
| 127 |  Oman | 17 June 1990 |
| — |  Holy See | 6 December 1990 |
| 128 |  Dominican Republic | 14 June 1991 |
| 129 |  El Salvador | 26 June 1991[44] |
| 130 |  Estonia | 10 September 1991 |
| 131 |  Latvia | 10 September 1991 |
| 132 |  Bahrain | 15 October 1991 |
| 133 |  United Arab Emirates | 19 October 1991 |
| 134 |  Lithuania | 10 December 1991 |
| 135 |  Ukraine | 13 December 1991 |
| 136 |  Armenia | 18 January 1992 |
| 137 |  South Africa | 2 February 1992 |
| 138 |  Moldova | 5 February 1992 |
| 139 |  Barbados | 12 March 1992[44] |
| 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[44] |
| 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[46] |
| 158 |  Andorra | 14 June 1994 |
| — |  Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 11 November 1994[47] |
| 159 |  Malawi | 23 November 1994[44] |
| 160 |  Eswatini | 30 January 1995 |
| 161 |  Saudi Arabia | 20 March 1995 |
| 162 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12 January 1996 |
| 163 |  San Marino | 17 April 2000[48] |
| 164 |  Nauru | 30 April 2001[44] |
| 165 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 7 June 2001[44] |
| 166 |  Timor-Leste | 21 January 2003[49] |
| 167 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 11 September 2003 |
| 168 |  Honduras | 7 May 2004[44] |
| 169 |  Suriname | 20 September 2004 |
| 170 |  Montenegro | 2 August 2006[50] |
| 171 |  Djibouti | 13 February 2007[51] |
| 172 |  Bahamas | 27 September 2007[44] |
| — |  Kosovo | 27 May 2008[52] |
| 173 |  Solomon Islands | 27 April 2011[44] |
| 174 |  Dominica | 28 April 2011[44] |
| 175 |  Tuvalu | 18 May 2011[44] |
| 176 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 20 September 2011[44] |
| 177 |  Fiji | 25 May 2015[44] |
| 178 |  Monaco | 14 February 2018[53] |
| 179 |  Vanuatu | 24 June 2019[44] |
| 180 |  Saint Lucia | 5 November 2020[44] |
| 181 |  Palau | 7 July 2022[44] |
| 182 |  Federated States of Micronesia | 20 October 2022[44] |
| 183 |  Samoa | 8 May 2023[44] |
| 184 |  Marshall Islands | 12 June 2023[54] |
| 185 |  Kiribati | 17 July 2024[44] |
| 186 |  Papua New Guinea | 14 February 2025[44] |
| Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Council of Europe | Bulgaria joined theCouncil of Europe as a full member on 7 May 1992. | |
| European Union | See2007 enlargement of the European Union Bulgaria joined theEuropean Union as a full member on 1 January 2007. | |
 NATO | Bulgaria joinedNATO as a full member on 29 March 2004. |
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 1962[55] | |
| Angola | 20 November 1975 | |
| Egypt | 3 February 1926[61] | SeeBulgaria–Egypt relations
|
| Ethiopia |
| |
| Kenya |
| |
| Libya | 30 June 1963[62] |
|
| Morocco | 1 September 1961[63][full citation needed] |
|
| Nigeria | 1964[66] |
|
| South Africa | 2 February 1992 | SeeBulgaria–South Africa relations |
| Sudan | 1 July 1956[68] | SeeBulgaria–Sudan relations
|
| Tunisia | 1956[69] |
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1931[72] |
|
| Belize | 15 February 1994[73] |
|
| Brazil | 1934[75] | SeeBrazil–Bulgaria relations
|
| Canada | 30 June 1966[76] | SeeBulgaria–Canada relations |
| Chile | 1935[80] |
|
| Colombia | 8 May 1973[81][full citation needed] | |
| Cuba | 1960[82] |
|
| Dominica |
| |
| Ecuador | 1971[84] | |
| Mexico | 6 January 1938[85][full citation needed] | SeeBulgaria–Mexico relations
|
| Paraguay | 2 December 1992 |
|
| Peru | 1969 | |
| United States | 1903[90] | SeeBulgaria–United States relations Bulgarian-American relations, first formally established in 1903, have moved from missionary activity andAmerican support forBulgarian 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 theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and growing political, military and economic ties in the beginning of the 21st century.
|
| Uruguay |
| |
| Venezuela |
|
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | 12 June 1961[91] |
|
| Armenia | 18 January 1992[94] | SeeArmenia–Bulgaria relations
|
| Azerbaijan | 5 June 1992[97] | SeeAzerbaijan–Bulgaria relations
|
| China | 3 October 1949[100] | SeeBulgaria–China relations
|
| Georgia | 5 June 1992[103] | SeeBulgaria–Georgia relations
|
| India | 22 December 1954[106] | SeeBulgaria–India relations |
| Indonesia | 20 September 1956[109] | SeeBulgaria–Indonesia relations |
| Iran | 1897[111] | |
| Iraq | 14 August 1958[115] | SeeBulgaria–Iraq relations
|
| Israel | 4 December 1948[118] | SeeBulgaria–Israel relations
|
| Japan | 12 October 1939[121] | SeeBulgaria–Japan relations
|
| Kazakhstan | 5 June 1992[124] |
|
| Lebanon | 19 September 1966 |
|
| Mongolia | 22 April 1950[128] | SeeBulgaria–Mongolia relations
|
| North Korea | 29 November 1948[129] |
|
| Pakistan | 15 June 1965[130] | |
| Palestine | November 1988[132] |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
| |
| South Korea | 23 March 1990[133] | SeeBulgaria–South Korea relations
|
| Syria | 24 July 1954 | SeeBulgaria–Syria relations |
| Thailand | 10 August 1974[140] | |
| Turkey | 18 October 1925[144] | SeeBulgaria–Turkey relations
|
| United Arab Emirates | 19 October 1991[147] | SeeBulgaria–United Arab Emirates relations
|
| Uzbekistan | 12 September 1992[148] | SeeBulgaria–Uzbekistan relations
|
| Vietnam | 8 February 1950[149] | SeeBulgaria–Vietnam relations |
| Yemen | 12 October 1962[152] | SeeBulgaria–Yemen relations
|
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | 1922[153] | SeeAlbania–Bulgaria relations |
| Andorra | 14 July 1993[158] |
|
| Austria | 7 July 1879[160] | SeeAustria–Bulgaria relations |
| Belarus | 26 March 1992[163] | SeeBelarus–Bulgaria relations |
| Belgium | 1879[167] | SeeBelgium–Bulgaria relations
|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15 January 1992[170] | SeeBosnia and Herzegovina–Bulgaria relations
|
| Croatia | 13 August 1992[173] | SeeBulgaria–Croatia relations |
| Cyprus | 30 October 1960[176] | SeeBulgaria–Cyprus relations
|
| Czech Republic | 27 September 1920[178] | SeeBulgaria–Czech Republic relations
|
| Denmark | 17 April 1931[182] | SeeBulgaria–Denmark relations
|
| Estonia | 20 May 1921[183] | SeeBulgaria–Estonia relations
|
| Finland | 5 August 1918[184] |
|
| France | 8 July 1879[185] | SeeBulgaria–France relations
|
| Germany | 1879[186] | SeeBulgaria–Germany relations
|
| Greece | 1880[189] | SeeBulgaria–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: theSecond Balkan War, theFirst World War and theSecond World War, in which Bulgaria briefly occupied parts ofnorthern Greece.
|
| Holy See | SeeHoly See–Bulgaria relations
| |
| Hungary | 9 August 1920[191] | SeeBulgaria–Hungary relations
|
| Iceland | 27 December 1963[192] | SeeBulgaria–Iceland relations
|
| Ireland | 11 July 1990[193] | SeeBulgaria–Ireland relations
|
| Italy | 25 July 1879[196] | SeeBulgaria–Italy relations |
| Kosovo | 27 May 2008[52] | SeeBulgaria–Kosovo relations
|
| Latvia | 24 May 1922[202] | SeeBulgaria–Latvia relations
|
| Liechtenstein | 19 November 1993[205] |
|
| Lithuania | 3 November 1924[206] | SeeBulgaria–Lithuania relations
|
| Luxembourg | 1956[209] |
|
| Malta | 10 September 1971[210] | |
| Moldova | 5 February 1992[213] | SeeBulgaria–Moldova relations |
| Monaco | 14 February 2008[215] |
|
| Montenegro | 2 August 2006[216] | SeeBulgaria–Montenegro relations |
| Netherlands | 1909[217] | SeeBulgaria–Netherlands relations
|
| North Macedonia | 15 January 1992[220] | SeeBulgaria–North Macedonia relations
|
| Norway | 20 August 1906[222] | SeeBulgaria–Norway relations |
| Poland | 30 December 1918[224] | SeeBulgaria–Poland relations |
| Portugal | 1893[227] | SeeBulgaria–Portugal relations |
| Romania | SeeBulgaria–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.
| |
| Russia | 7 July 1879[230] | SeeBulgaria–Russia relations
|
| San Marino | 17 April 2000[48] |
|
| Serbia | 18 January 1879[233][full citation needed] | SeeBulgaria–Serbia relations |
| Slovakia | 1 January 1993[234] | SeeBulgaria–Slovakia relations
|
| Slovenia | 1992[237] | SeeBulgaria–Slovenia relations |
| Spain | 8 May 1910[240] | SeeBulgaria–Spain relations
|
| Sweden | 6 June 1914[243] | SeeBulgaria–Sweden relations
|
| Switzerland | 14 November 1916[246] | SeeBulgaria–Switzerland relations
|
| Turkey | 18 October 1925[144] | SeeTurkey in Asia Above |
| Ukraine | 13 December 1991[249] | SeeBulgaria–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 Kingdom | 23 July 1879[252] | SeeBulgaria–United Kingdom relations Bulgaria establisheddiplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 23 July 1879.[252]
Both countries share common membership of theCouncil of Europe,NATO,OSCE, and theWorld Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement,[254] and a Strategic Partnership.[255] |
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 5 April 1972[256] | |
| New Zealand | 9 October 1984[259] |
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| Africa | | ||||
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| Related topics |
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