Bulgaria–Russia relations

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Bulgaria–Russia relations
Отношения между България и Русия
Отношения между Болгарией и Россией

Bulgaria	Russia
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Bulgaria in Russia, Moscow	Embassy of Russia in Bulgaria, Sofia
Envoy
Ambassador Atanas Krystin	Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova

Bulgaria–Russia relations (

After a Communist takeover in 1945, Bulgaria was a Soviet ally during the Cold War, and maintained good relationships with Russia until the Revolutions of 1989, the only major period since independence where Russia had better relations with Bulgaria than with Serbia; or rather in this case Tito's Yugoslavia. However, following woes over energy projects included the cancelled South Stream pipeline and frozen Belene Nuclear Power Plant project, as well as the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, the relationship has again deteriorated.

History

Official relations began on July 7, 1879.

Early relations

The citizens of modern-day Russia and Bulgaria have been in contact for centuries.

Relations between two started to worsen when Russia refused to diplomatically support Bulgaria in the Bulgarian unification and the following Serbo-Bulgarian War.^[2] This had a serious impact on Bulgarian–Russian relations, which continues to even modern day.

20th century

Bulgaria and Russia's relations continued to fall as Bulgaria accused Russia of meddling into its internal affairs, a fact that contributed to growing alliance between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Serbia. This led to antagonism between Bulgaria and Russia even when Russia motivated Bulgaria to form an alliance with Montenegro, Serbia and Greece to drive the Austrians away. When Bulgaria got a chance to occupy Constantinople during the First Balkan War against the Ottoman Empire, Russia opposed Bulgarian military actions.^[3][4] Russia also refused to condemn Serbia and Greece for attacking Bulgaria in the consequent war. But tensions between Bulgaria and Russia eventually erupted in the World War I when Bulgaria sided with German Empire over the promise to regain its lost soil. Eventually, Bulgaria and Russia suffered heavy military losses for their wars, and Bulgarian–Russian relations severed. It was not until 1930s that saw Russia, as the Soviet Union, established relations with Bulgaria.^[5]

In

Bilateral relations

Bulgaria–Soviet Union relations

Bulgaria	Soviet Union

From 1945 to 1948, the country became entrenched within the

Georgi Ivanov, a military officer from Bulgaria became the first Bulgarian to reach outer space when he boarded Soyuz 33 along with Soviet cosmonaut Nikolai Rukavishnikov. Bulgarian scientists were involved in preparations for the flight. During this era, Bulgaria was governed by Todor Zhivkov, a close friend of Nikita Khrushchev.

1989 - 2021

After the fall of communism in 1989, Bulgaria–Russia relations entered a new stage. Relations were affected by the political orientation of the party in power. The left was more supportive of close relations than the right. Russian attempts to interfere continued after the People's Republic of Bulgaria and Soviet Union collapsed. That led to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats during the Union of Democratic Forces (СДС) government in March 2001 as Ivan Kostov, then Prime Minister of Bulgaria, was made aware of attempts to remove the Bulgarian government by Russian agents in the Bulgarian government, only five months before the legitimate end of the government term.^[12] Relations between the two remained moderate despite Bulgaria's integration with Western Europe and the United States. Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

A later President,

On 24 March 2022, the Bulgarian prime minister announced the recalling of the Bulgarian ambassador in Moscow for consultations, in the wake of "undiplomatic, sharp and rude" comments reportedly spouted by the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova.^[18]

In the evening of 27 June the Russian embassy in Sofia launched a charity appeal for Bulgarians to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[19] One day later, Petkov announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats over concerns of espionage.^[20] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Bulgaria would be temporarily closing down its diplomatic mission in Yekaterinburg and expected Russia to temporarily halt the activities of its own mission in Ruse, Bulgaria.^[21] All services of the Russian embassy were halted, and Bulgaria stipulated that Russia must follow from thenceforth the official standard of limiting their numbers to 23 diplomatic staff and 25 administrative staff.^[22] Misinformation promulgated by Russia in Bulgaria is being countered by the government of Bulgaria.^[23]

Russia is suspected of being behind an explosion at an arms factory in Bulgaria in June 2023, it follows a series of similar incidents at arms depots housing ammunition meant to be exported to Ukraine.^[24] In June 2023 Bulgaria decided to supply weapons directly to Ukraine and in July 2023 endorsed a decision to join the European Defence Agency’s Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition project in support of Ukraine.^[25]

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolai Denkov stated "Russia must definitely withdraw from the territory of Ukraine, recognize its borders, and be held accountable for the crimes it has committed," when meeting the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July 2023.^[26]

Bulgaria is close to selling two unused Russian-made nuclear reactors and other critical equipment to Ukraine's state-owned atomic energy company.^[27]

In July Bulgaria took over the Rosenets oil terminal at the port of Burgas, run by Lukoil, with the Russian company losing its long term concession.^[28] In October Bulgaria passed a law taxing Lukoil refinery at 60% of revenue, resulting in Lukoil trying to find a buyer for the refinery. A new owner would pay a lower rate of 15% of revenue. Bulgaria also passed a law taxing gas in transit from Russia to Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 20 levs, around 20% of the current natural gas price, with Gazprom likely to be suffering the financial loss.^[29] The gas transit tax was suspended shortly afterwards.

Trade

In 2021 Bulgarian exports to Russia were $592 million with medication being the top product. Russian exports were $2.78 billion with natural gas being the main product. Between 1996 and 2021 Bulgarian exports have risen by an average of 0.71% p.a. whereas Russian exports rose by 1.39% p.a. on average.^[30]

In April 2022 Russia ceased supplying gas to Bulgaria.^[31] Bulgaria will cease buying Russian crude oil in 1 March 2024.^[32]

Resident diplomatic missions

• Bulgaria has an embassy in Moscow and a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg.
• Russia has an embassy in Sofia and consulates-general in Ruse and Varna.

• 
  Embassy of Bulgaria in Moscow
• 
  Consulate-General of Bulgaria in Saint Petersburg
• 
  Embassy of Russia in Sofia

Sources

• Arthur Ernst von Huhn: The Struggle of the Bulgarians for National Independence Under Prince Alexander: A Military and Political History of the War Between Bulgaria and Servia in 1885 (John Murray, 1886). Online.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Relations of Bulgaria and Russia.

• Bulgarian embassy in Moscow (in Bulgarian, English and Russian)
• Russian embassy in Sofia
• Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bulgaria