Embassy of India

Sofia, Bulgaria
Concurrently accredited to Republic of North Macedonia

India- Bulgaria historical Relations

1. Relations between India and Bulgaria are longstanding, warm and friendly. The two countries, which happen to be ancient civilizations, are proud of their glorious cultural heritage. People to people contacts and cultural links between the two countries pre-date the establishment of diplomatic relations in December 1954. There are traces of contacts between the peoples of the two countries as early as the 8th Century AD.  2024.

2. Despite political changes witnessed by the two countries in the last seven decades, India and Bulgaria, as two independent nation-States have developed friendly, cordial and multi-dimensional relationship. Their multi-faceted relationship has flourished based on mutual respect and understanding and has progressively evolved into a strong friendship. India and Bulgaria are observing 70 years of their diplomatic relations in December 2024.

3. There have been regular high-level political contact between India and Bulgaria over the years. Noteworthy high-level visits from India include that by President Ram Nath Kovind (2018), Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (2003), Vice President Krishan Kant (2000), President S. D. Sharma (1994), Vice President R. Venkataraman (1985), PM Indira Gandhi (1981), President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1980), President V.V. Giri (1976), PM Indira Gandhi (1967) and Vice-President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1954). From the Bulgarian side, the noteworthy high-level visits were by President Petar Stoyanov in 1998,  President Todor Zhivkov (1976 & 1983);  and by Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev in 2007 and Prime Minister Stanko Todorov in 1974, & 1980.

4. EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar had a meeting with Mrs. Mariya Gabriel Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria on 16th February, 2024 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar had a meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, in Vienna on 1 January 2023 where both were invited as special guest by the Austrian Chancellor.  EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar also met the Caretaker Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mr. Ivan Kondov on the side-lines of the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum held in Stockholm, Sweden on 13 May 2023. Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Mrs. Meenakashi Lekhi, paid an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria from 30 November - 1 December 2023.

5. Previous EAM External Affairs Minister of India (EAM), Smt. Sushma Swaraj paid an official visit to Bulgaria on 16-17 February 2019. Minister of State for Textiles Shri Ajay Tamta visited Bulgaria on 8-11 May 2018.   Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, Shri B. Dattatreya, led an Indian delegation for the 5th ASEM Labour & Employment Ministers’ Conference held in Sofia on 2nd December, 2015. Shri Girish Chandra Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General of India visited Bulgaria from 16-19 April 2024 and signed an agreement for mutual cooperation and sharing of best practices with the Vice-President of the Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) Mrs. Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva. 

6. From the Bulgarian side, key ministerial visits during the last 10 years include those by Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Mr. Kristian Vigenin in November 2013 for the ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova in November 2015. Deputy Minister of Economy Mr. Alexander Manolev in March 2018 for the 18th Session of Joint Commission Meeting (March 2018) and to participate in the 4th edition of “India-Europe 29 Business Forum”. Ms. Mariyana Nikolova, Deputy PM for Economic and Demographic Policy of Bulgaria paid a visit to India from 19-21 November 2019 accompanied by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev, and Deputy Minister of Tourism Lyuben Kanchev. She also led a business delegation to the 5th edition of India Europe-29 Business Forum held in New Delhi on 20-21 November 2020. Mrs. Katerina Gramatikova, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, led an official delegation to the 14th edition of 'Aero India 2023' exhibition in Bangalore (February 2023). Culture Minister Nayden Todorov visited New Delhi in July 2024 for participating in the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi. He held a bilateral meeting with Hon’ble Minister of Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The two ministers discussed joint cultural initiatives in the context of celebration of the 70 years of diplomatic relations, including exchange of cultural delegations, exhibitions, and translations of books in both languages.

7. There are active contacts between the Parliaments of India and Bulgaria. The National Assembly of Bulgaria traditionally establishes an India- Friendship group with India with the leading members of Parliament. The Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly President Rosen Zhelyazkov paid a visit to India along with a delegation of 11 MPs from all parliamentary groups in January 2024. The delegation met with the Hon’ble Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, and the Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Prakash Birla. The delegation reiterated strong desire to intensify bilateral relations, especially mutual trade and investment and hoped for an early signing of the free trade agreement between India and the EU. Discussions were held in the areas of areas of economy, defence, science, innovation, technology, culture and education.

Important Bilateral Treaties and Agreements

8. The two countries have signed agreements on Tourism; Avoidance of Double Taxation; Combating Organized Crime, International Terrorism and Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics and Psychotropic substances; Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations; Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement; Air Services Agreement; Defence Cooperation; Science and Technology; Extradition; Cooperation in Youth Affairs and Sports; Information Technologies; Economic Cooperation; Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters; Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons; Protocol of Intent on Labour Relations; Employment and Social Security; Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development; abolition of visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports; Programme of Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine, Civil Nuclear Cooperation etc. Tourism, Investment, Establishment of Hindi Chair at Sofia University etc.

India- Bulgaria Trade and investment Relations

9. Bilateral trade between India and Bulgaria has been growing steadily. Their economies enjoy complementarities in several areas, including IT services, biotechnology, agriculture sector, food processing industry, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. Major Indian IT companies, namely, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and Tech Mahindra are present in Bulgaria. With Bulgaria’s advantageous geographical location and its ease of doing business, Indian companies consider Bulgaria as a favourable gateway to the European markets.  

India’s trade with Bulgaria during the last five years

(Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India)

10. Major items of Indian exports to Bulgaria are organic chemicals; pharmaceuticals and medicaments; electrical machinery; wool; construction material, plastics; steel and aluminium products. 

11. Major items of Bulgarian exports to India are laboratory instruments & apparatus; animal feeding preparations; kraft paper; radio-broadcasting apparatus; aluminium waste & scrap; machinery for working rubber or plastics; copper waste & scrap; engines & motors.

12. Leading Indian business associations and chambers have collaboration agreements with their Bulgarian counterparts, especially the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Indian business delegations regularly visit Bulgaria to explore opportunities for trade and investment. 

13. Tourism is an area, which holds prospects for both the countries. Many Bulgarian tourists visit India for Yoga, Ayurveda and spirituality related tourism. Bulgaria, with its beautiful mountains, the Black-Sea coast boasting of cities like Varna and Burgas, has also become an attractive destination for Bollywood film Industry. Several big banner movies like “Bahubali”, “RRR”, “Dilwale” “Shivaay”, “Bhramastra” “Aganathavasi”. Indian films have helped in popularizing Bulgaria as an interesting tourist destination among the Indian public. 

Cultural Relations and people to people contacts

14. During the 19th century, the famous Bulgarian revolutionary Georgi Rakovski expressed support and sympathy for the people of India on the occasion of the India's First War of Independence in 1857. Great Indian poet and Nobel Laureate ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore visited Sofia and Ruse in Bulgaria in November 1926. 

15. Indian culture enjoys considerable popularity in Bulgaria. Indian classics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagvat Gita and Panchatantra as well as modern Indian authors like Prem Chand, Mulk Raj Anand and Amrita Pritam have been translated in the Bulgarian language. Some of the eminent Bulgarian poets like Hristo Botev, Hristo Smyrensky and Nikola Vaptsarov have also been translated in to Indian languages. There are several institutions in Bulgaria which are involved in promoting and practising yoga and Ayurveda. International Day of Yoga (21 June) is celebrated in more than 40 cities and towns across Bulgaria.

16. There are two statues of Mahatama Gandhi in Bulgaria at the South Park in Sofia and at the city Garden in Varna city. The Gandhi statue in Sofia was conceived and created by the eminent Bulgarian sculptor Ivan Rusev. It was jointly unveiled by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind and President of Bulgaria Mr. Rumen Radev in September 2018. 

17. The cultural exchanges between India and Bulgaria are supported by several Indo-Bulgarian cultural organizations which work in cooperation with the Embassy of India. The ‘East-West Indological Foundation’, established in 1997 and led by Indologist Mrs. Yordanka Boyanova, supports cross-cultural exchanges through language classes, support for Indian dance, music and arts, and translation of Indian literary works. The ‘Friends of India Club’,  founded in 1991, has members drawn from the fields of arts, literature and diplomats. It brings out an annual magazine called "Svetilnik" devoted to Indian arts and culture. Other notable organizations active in the field of cultural exchanges are Devam Foundation and Namaste Bulgaria. 

18. The study of Indian languages, especially Hindi is conducted by the Indology department at the Centre for Eastern Languages and Cultures of the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023. The Indology Department teaches Hindi language at graduation and post-graduation levels.  It has a Professor of Hindi from India as a visiting ICCR chair. Similarly, there is a Professor of Bulgarian language teaching the language at the Delhi University. Bulgarian students are provided one-year scholarship by the Government of India to learn Hindi at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra. 

19. India offers opportunities for Bulgarian professionals to participate in training courses at the leading Indian institutions under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and several hundreds of Bulgarian nationals have participated in such programmes over the years. 

Indian Community

20. The Indian community is small numbering around 800 persons who are mostly professionals working for companies or self-employed in small businesses. There are around 450 Indian students mostly studying medicine in universities in Sofia, Pleven, Plovdiv, Varna and Stara Zagora. The ‘Indian Association’ works in cooperation with the Embassy of India in Sofia in bringing together the Indians living in Bulgaria. 

Air - Links with India

21. There are no direct air-links between India and Bulgaria. Popular connections are through Istanbul, Doha, Vienna and Frankfurt. 

Useful Resources: 

Embassy of India Sofia Website: 

http://www.indembsofia.gov.in

Embassy of India Sofia FaceBook Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/IndiaInBulgaria

Embassy of India Sofia Twitter Page: 

https://twitter.com/IndiaInBulgaria

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August 2024